Artist's statement:

Initially I produced utilitarian baskets from palembang cane, I find a lot of satisfaction in producing items that are used by people on a daily basis. My interest in sculpture comes from that background - it's a natural extension of form and technique. I enjoy the process of construction, producing elegant sculptural forms from natural fibres, using willow, rattancore and harvesting materials from my immediate environment such as jasmine, harakeke and supplejack.
Recycled copper - gorgeous colours and the opposing qualities of malleability and strength - has given a new direction and scope for my ideas, allowing for the construction of much larger scale works, indoor and outdoor pieces.
My inspiration comes mainly from forms in the natural environment. I have lived on Great Barrier Island for the last seven years and feel the land and the sea have impacted significantly on my work.
There is inspiration also in the everyday objects that are used by humans, eg hinaki, seed fans, sails, a myriad of things. It is 'form' wherever it is found that motivates me in my work. The texture within a piece and the spaces created in between the weaving are prime factors in each work.

Light vessel 2004 was inspired by work of the late
Valerie Pragnell

Big Willow Project

In 2006 I was accepted as a participant on the building of a large landscape sculpture designed by American landscape artist Patrick Dougherty . He was commissioned by the Scottish Highland Council to build a piece to commemorate a year long celebration of the arts in the Highlands. This was a joint venture between the Arts Council and the Scottish Basketmakers Circle, who in the main provided the weavers from within their membership group. It was an extremely interesting experience, Patrick had a totally different approach to using willow from that which most of us helping had. The sculpture site was beside a small loch on a private estate close to Inverness, a beautiful landscape with snow on the surrounding hills some mornings. It took a month to finish the work which is a ring of seven stones with a small 'mother' stone in the middle, on average there was a group of 6 working each day.
We celebrated with an opening on a cool sunny day with harpists and a performance by English basketmaker Tim Johnston.

More information about this project is available on my blogsite.weavinglife.blogspot.com