Lived experience of neurodivergent traits informs all my art. These are things which disable and enable, almost in equal measure. Like everyone I benefit from being in nature, but cognitive ‘busyness’, and fragmented attention mean that those experiences are not ‘quiet’ or meditative like they are for most neurotypical people. They are a riot of impressions, which, while not necessarily calming, are awe inspiring and joyous. Sensory overload can happen in the seemingly calmest surroundings. It just takes one more bird song, or one more damselfly flitting into view.

The layering and texture in my work seeks to explore this, and is also a direct reference to the experience of ‘masking’ my true self, to appear ‘normal’.

I am a Wallingford-based artist, who uses paint and paper ephemera, to create richly textured paintings, which both hide and reveal the many layers that are laid down as they are created. I also work with textiles, found objects and embroidery.

Water holds a constant fascination. The River Thames, at Wallingford, and beyond, is a major inspiration for my work. Its rhythms, infrastructure and wildlife, are the subject matter of many of my pieces.

Play is a very important aspect of my creative process; I am also a boardgame and role-playing game designer. Each new art piece I create is an opportunity to play and explore, and to reach a state of flow, when I will know that I am 'on the right track'. Although gameplay and art seem dissimilar at first glance, they both involve problem-solving and the exploration of 'what-if', which gives intense satisfaction.