Artist statement
Tender Machines is a new series of work inspired partly by architecture and machinery such as pylons, water towers, agricultural machines like threshers, and water towers. These have been first recorded in a sketch book and then later recalled in the studio and transformed with imagination to create individual characterful 'personages'. Each of the Tender Machines acts as a metaphor for different human behaviour, such as transmitting, receiving, full, empty and the processing of emotion.
Each image is made directly onto watercolour paper with a paintbrush with no other planning. The colour in the series is limited to burnt sienna, indian red, yellow ochre, cadmium red, vandyke brown, sepia and white. There is a playful mix between the transparency of watercolour and the opaque quality of gouache. The paper is 300gsm Saunders Waterford.
A book featuring Tender Machines is available on www.blub.co.uk
Two of the series will be at The Affordable Art Fair in New York with The Cube Gallery, 3-7 April 2013.
Qualifications and training
- 2002 PGCE Art & Design, University of the West of England, Bristol
- 1995 Fine Art Fellow Printmaking, Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education, Cheltenham
- 1993 MA Fine Art Printmaking, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
- 1985 Graphic Design (BA hons), The London College of Printing, London
- 1984 Art & Design Foundation Course, Harrogate College of Art, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Solo exhibitions
- 2008 Drawing in Space, The Pound Art Centre, Corsham, Wiltshire
- 2008 Drawing Together, The ArtGym, Bristol
- 2005 Mare's Tales, Jerwood Project Space, London
- 2004 Cumulus, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester
Group exhibitions
- 2013 The Cube Gallery, Affordable Art Fair, New York, USA
- 2012 Surface Disturbances, The Searchers Contemporary, Bristol
- 2012 Mivart Raw, Mivart Street Studios, Bristol
- 2011 Home, Core Gallery, Deptford SE8
- 2010 Celebrating Paper, Royal West of England Academy (RWA), Bristol
- 2010 The London Art Fair, Rabley Contemporary Drawing Centre, London
- 2008 Prize Drawing, ArtSpace, Southwell, Nottingham
- 2006 Hide & Seek, Mivart Studios, Bristol
- 2003 View, ArtSway, Sway, New Forest
Artist talks
- 2012 Surface Disturbances, The Searchers Conteporary, Bristol
- 2011 Show and Tell, Core Gallery, Deptford SE8
Residencies
- 2005 Flock, Bristol Central Library, Bristol
- 2003 Artist in Residence, Creative Partnerships & Multi A, Hartcliffe & Withywood Bristol
- 2000 5x5x5 Project, St Saviour's Junior School & The Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
- 1996 Artist in Residence, Martin Wilson Primary School, Shrewsbury
Competitions, prizes and awards
- 2011 SKETCH Drawing Prize 2011, Rabley Contemporary Drawing Centre, Marlborough
- 2010 The Jerwood Drawing Prize, Jerwood Space, London (& UK tour)
- 2008 The Jerwood Drawing Prize, Jerwood Space, London (& UK tour)
- 2007 The Jerwood Drawing Prize, Jerwood Space, London (& UK tour)
- 2007 Open Sculpture Competition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
- 2003 Open Sculpture Competition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
- 2002 Angelwing, Eyepoppers, Gloucester, First Prize
- 1997 Oriel Mostyn Open, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno
