As part of the Old School Art Collective, I have made pyrography boards, bowls, tealights, clocks and other functional pieces using a variety of new, found and recycled wooden objects. My work is inspired by the natural world, and in particular the scaly, slimy and slithery.

I have been burning images onto wood for five years now and I am still fascinated by the complex tessellated structures of scaly creatures and the sinuous forms of the smooth and slimy. Coupled with the beauty of the creatures themselves is the sensual joy of the wood : inky dark marks contrast with the pale creaminess of beech and ash; rich deep-toned hardwoods absorb the design, only yielding it in the hands of the owner; gnarly live edges assert the wildness of the material in its rawest form. It’s a complex and absorbing interplay !

I am proud to be part of The Old School Art Collective again this year and to be working with artists old and new. For 2024, our exhibition will comprise quirky and functional ceramics, water colour, mosaics and wood turning. Our work collectively reflects a range of themes including ‘Woods and Trees’, ‘Home Comforts’, ‘The Animal Kingdom’ and – of course – ‘The WOW Factor’ !