blue tree gallery

'Born in Caithness, the northerly tip of the UK mainland, you could say I was a teenager well prepared for a remote rural life when my family decided on a fairly spontaneous move to Skye in the early 1980s.  At that time Skye had no bridge and the ferry was the only connection with the outside world. Like many younger folk from the islands I moved away to the city lights, first to study in Edinburgh where I completed my degree in Woven Tapestry and then down to England where I retrained in early years Education.

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It is often said Skye never leaves you. Whilst I was away I was still yearning to return and I did return, both to the island and my creative roots. My Collage style developed from my textile design methods. I often used collage as a medium for my design ideas. The collage process soon became my main focus and later my style began to include upcycled materials.  I love creating something beautiful from something which has lost its purpose. I use anything that will stick, even sweet wrappers find their way into my work. ( It's also a brilliant excuse to buy extra Tunnocks teacakes which have fabulous foil wrappers!)

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My urge to create magic from lost items led me into the world of mosaics. I found I could combine lovely old broken vintage china with clay to make little picture treasures. Birds are my main inspiration.  A few winters ago I spent a long time watching and feeding the birds in my woodland garden; they are so fascinating and each one seems to have its own personality, perfect for my quirky mosaics.'

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