A Bit About Me & My Work
As a medium photography allows me time to experiment and be creative post-edit. I believe the post-process is as much a part of the creative outcome as the shoot itself. I've learned to be curious and patient through my creative practice. Preparation paves the way for each shoot, but it does not confine me to a static outcome. Often I am surprised as I go, making new discoveries. Flowers have a mind and personality of their own, they have personality, so I remind myself to stay inquisitive while creating.
I work with seasonal and dry arrangements, carefully hand selected for each piece. I match my compositions with props that either form an aesthetic vision or speak into a theme. Sometimes my written work harmonises with the image and other times I use the image to contrast a message. My backdrop is handmade by me and emotes the feel of an aged Tuscan wall. I love to work with natural light and play with shadows to evoke a Dutch Old Masters feel.
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My Old Masters art crushes are Rachel Ruysch and Jan van Huysum. ​Unlike many still life artists of the time who featured dead animals and props which point to our mortality, Rachel and Jan's works are a celebration of florals and life. Jan's works seem almost in motion, a scene breathing before you.
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A Photographer With A Pen
Craft
"Art exists to make us taste the eternal"
- Cezanne
Communication
The creation of my art is an extension of my belief that God is present, kind, and creative, and that he has revealed an aspect of his nature towards us through beauty. I've come to discover theodicy, a term which describes the defence of the goodness of God in a broken world. Even in this place of sorrows we see glimmers of reassurance.
I believe that words shape our inner world and that the creative arts can speak to us. They can draw on our imagination towards the things which are in the heart of ourselves that we long for. Whether a bursting abundant arrangement or a solitary dry stem, beauty can be found. In beauty we find life, and in life we find hope. Beauty answers a deep calling within; we are made for delight and wonder, for joy and gladness.We are not alone.
Connection
I want to remind you that you are human, not a machine. The main focus of my creative work is to invite you the viewer into a moment of stillness, beauty and contemplation in contrast to the frenetic rhythms of daily life. A desire to prompt an awareness of connectivity is at the centre of my art. I hope the viewer experiences a sense of peace and known-ness or is stirred to deep reflection.
"To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work"
- Mary Oliver
Community
Community connection is also dear to my heart. Through my monthly e-magazine The Beagle For Beauty, I provide a safe space for conversation within the membership. We are curious and open. Doubt is not seen as a flaw but a bridge to a deeper understanding. No topic is off-limits. Previously we've discussed such things as; difficulty in marriage, parenting children with special needs, surviving religious trauma, mental health and mid-life crisis. I share thought provoking ideas each edition, along with original still life projects, recommendations for books, poetry, recipes, TV & Film, and a curated playlist. I love receiving emails and messages from Beagle readers. Although I have a social media presence, my heart is to connect more personally this way. I'm building a community rather than a platform.
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Let's Get
Social
