My work is informed by personal experience, places visited, stories of my Romany grandmother, old and forgotten textiles. A research trip to India supported by Arts Council, allowed time to examine my response to the cultural heritage of North Indian art and decoration and make connections to those of my own Romany heritage. Immersed in exotic images, colours and landscape totally alien to my upbringing and experience, I found myself picking up useful items from the rubbish in the streets, odd bits of fabric, an old label and often sat down to exchange stitch ideas. This formed a new body of work 'Traces'.
As a result of this trip, I continue to remain deeply interested in our fragile relationship with the local and global environment. The impressive physical changes to the land from building, farming, flooding, and the normal cycle of the weather to the more intimate places of our gardens, parks and the urban spaces remain a constant theme.
