I began to write icons in 1999 after being invited to join a retreat in Rosscrea, County Tipperary.

I was living and working as an artist in Ireland and Iconography soon became a part of my lifetime’s practise of oil painting landscapes and portraits.

Egg Tempera painting is a very slow process of layering and rendering after initial gilding. Using the yolk of an egg to bind the pure pigments and working on a smooth gesso surface, the image takes shape from base layers to refined details using tiny sable brushes.

The subject is deeply spiritual and the process is contemplative whether it is a religious or secular icon

Desire Lines are the tracks created by walkers repeatedly deviating from prescribed paths to forge more direct routes to their chosen destinations.

The term highlights both the importance of individual agency and the power of coming together to achieve a common goal, both of which serve as a metaphor for Sapphire Blue Collective (SBC). 

A dynamic but intimate community of nine artists based in Devon, Cornwall and Wales, the SBC formed in the pandemic during their postgraduate studies at Arts University Plymouth to provide mutual support that fuels the personal growth of its members.

Their exhibitions are striking examples of DIY production and curation of work spanning an exciting range of mediums and disciplines including:- ceramics, painting, weaving, fine print, photography, drawing, sculpture and installation

Artists  

Poppy Goldsmith, Hannah Holford, Leah Jordan, Christina (Tina) Kutter, Polly Plouviez, Tim Ridley,

Alice Simpson, Marion Smylie and Kate Williams