I have always been delighted by beauty of materials; by craft, colour and storytelling in painting. The golden era of Medieval manuscript illumination, Gothic painting and the roots of Western art in Christian Iconography are my greatest inspirations.

This led me to study at The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London, as one of the few places in the UK that offers courses in these ancient techniques. On their Masters program I was able, not only to learn the techniques that most interested me in European art, but also to study under artistic masters from various cultures including Persian and Indian miniature, Islamic geometry and ceramics. After a feast of various artistic traditions in the first year, I went on to explore egg tempera painting and gilding on gesso board, as practised in Iconography, and Medieval stained glass.

Although these studies were largely technical in focus, I am a great believer in the empowerment that technical mastery gives to artistic expression. The techniques and materials themselves are inspiring. The use of gold and natural pigments derived from minerals, plants and animals - often coupled with the process of making them myself - is a continuous source of reconnection with nature.

At the same time, since childhood, I have had a love for the history and folklore of the British Isles and a deep sense of identity with the landscapes. My current home is in the Orkney Isles, where the peace, paired-down natural beauty and historic sites are a catalyst to reconnecting all these varied inspirations and letting the creative process bring forth its fruit unhurriedly.

I want to make art that is beautiful and uplifting for the viewer, whether it be transcendentally, as in Iconography, or simply through the joy of the subject and beauty of the materials.