Statement
When I’m making paintings, I’m often thinking about the idea of world building. I’m very influenced by the idea of magical realism, and I like to make narrative style paintings that depict surreal, otherworldly and often quite playful imagery. I enjoy creating imagined scenes that blur the boundary between fantasy and reality. When people look at my work, I really want them to feel like there’s a story unfolding in front of them. I’m very drawn to painting the figure and I often use the characters in my work as a tool to tell these stories. I find that drawing from memories or stories is a really great way to activate my imagination and build my own imagined scenes.
I tend to use my own experiences of places I’ve visited, the people I know, as well as the sketches and patterns I take from the world around me as inspiration. But sometimes more established narratives like folktales, mythology and medieval manuscripts also inform my work in terms of both content and form.
Achievements and Awards-
Funded artist in residence at Grampus Heritage Traditional Skills residency, Cyprus, November, 2020- Alexander Graham Munro Travel Award, Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, 2018 (£3000 travel prize)- Ninewells Hospital Radiology Art Prize, Dundee, 2017- Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour invited artist for the ‘Student Award’, 2017- John Kinross Scholarship, Royal Scottish Academy, 2017. Award based in Florence, Italy, October – December, 2017.- Watermark Award, presented by the Royal Scottish Education-
2013-2017: Fine Art BA(Hons), Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee. Graduated with a First Class Honours.
Collections
Royal Scottish Academy
Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art Collection, (University of Dundee)- Ninewells Hospital Art Collection, Dundee Society of Painters in Watercolour, 2015
Upcoming/Current Exhibitions
Tatha Gallery, ‘10 x 10 Show’, Newport-On-Tay, 22nd November 24 - 22 December - Kilmorack Gallery, ‘Winter Exibition’, Beauly, Opening 23rd November 24- Castlegate House Gallery, ‘A Winter Selection’, Cum bria, December 24
Exhibition History
Selection of new paintings, Castlegate House Gallery (May 2024) Scottish Show, Panter and Hall Gallery, London (February 2024) ‘On a Small Scale’, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, December 2023) Selection of New Paintings, Castlegate House Gallery, Cumbria, (July 2023) Scottish Show, Panter and Hall Gallery, London (February 2023) Summer Selection, Castlegate House Gallery, Cumbria (2022) Spring Selection, Castlegate House Gallery, Cumbria (2022) Scottish Show, Panter and Hall Gallery, London (2022) On a Small Scale, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh (2021) Castlegate House Gallery – A Summer Selection, August, Cumbria, 2021 ‘CHROMA’, a two person show with Alice Campbell and Lorna Sinclair, July 2021- ‘A Tale of Tolbooth’, Commissioned Artist for a group show in June 2021- Castlegate House Gallery – ‘Covid Contemporary Group Show’, Cumbria, November 2020- Castlegate House Gallery – Spring Exhibition, Cumbria, 2020- Castlegate House Gallery – A Winter Selection, Cumbria, 2019/2020- Fair for Saatchi with the Castlegate House Gallery, The Saatchi, 2019 Open Eye Gallery – ‘On a Small Scale’, Edinburgh, 2018- - - - - - RSA John Kinross Scholarship group show