I’m delighted to have four of my original ink drawings included in Blue Shop Gallery’s Works on Paper 7. Ocki, owner of Blue Shop Gallery is committed to helping artists grow by keeping open calls free to enter. I entered the Works on Paper open call earlier this year (my second time applying) and was absolutely astounded to receive an email saying that my work had been accepted.

It’s a real privilege to have my work alongside artists who I admire greatly, including Orla Kane, Camilla Skye, Catrin Llwyd, Tom Scotcher, Louise Pettifer and Toby Wills-Hart (among many many others).

“Walking in forests and being surrounded by trees has always been a contradictory experience for me, I crave the stillness of the woods and the quiet of nature and yet an expansive forest environment can also feel quite foreboding, as if something could be lurking out of sight. In my drawings I'm seeking to represent woodland landscapes, my particular focus is on the light and dark, texture and detail. How woodlands are magical, beautiful, isolating and lonely places all at once. I utilise a process of layering ink and water, allowing the ink to create marks and textures which become integral to the work. I scrub away at the drawing and then use a fine brush to draw in branches, leaves and tiny twigs. The scale is purposefully small, to draw the viewer in and to create an intimacy, the drawings are like little jewels, reminiscent of collectable playing cards, each offering their own woodland impression.”