Who I am and what I do

First and foremost I see myself as an artist with a wallpaper and fabric collection. I have recently collaborated with other designers such as Paul Smith and Dr Martens. I am a mother of 2 small children and we live by the sea.

How I work

I trained as a painter and my designs always grow from a drawing. When I am happy with my choice of drawing / motif, I then figure out how this will work as a repeated image. I sometimes use the old fashioned way of cutting and pasting, but more often now I will use the computer.

When my first wallpaper collection was launched in 2003, all of my wallpaper was hand screen-printed by myself and then hand-coloured using pencil crayons! On a 10m roll of Garden Birds I would colour by hand approximately 300 birds. My wallpaper is now flexographically printed which means the designs are etched onto rollers and rolled across the paper at high speed.

What inspires me

For inspiration I often call on nostalgic memories of my grandparents who were also artists. Having travelled quite alot I also use drawings from my travel sketch books.

I have recently become very interested in old interior magazines from the 1950’s left to me by my grandmother. I love the way drawing was very often used to depict a room before the wide spread use of photography.

My design philosophy

In my opinion good design is something which inspires the user or viewer. If the design is any good, you should be able to see a glimpse into the world of the person who created it.

A good designer will create a strong identity which carries through each design, and although his/her designs can differ greatly, there will be a recognisable thread which runs through the work. Unfortunately in this profession, there are a lot of magpies who borrow various bits from other designers and this is something which remains greatly overlooked.

I dont see all wallpaper as an art form, in fact some wallpaper should never have been made! If the design stands the test of time and is created with dignity and flair, then I think it can earn the respect of becoming a piece of art.

My stylistic influences

My grandmother, who was an incredible draftswoman, influenced me hugely. Paul Klee had a big influence on my sense of line drawing. I always look to the faded colours of the 1950’s to inspire my colour palette.

My future goals and ambitions

I would like to develop my work to relate to more site-specific spaces and one-off projects.

My likes and dislikes

I personally like... Chocolate. Walking along the beach with my family when the tide is out. Jumping on the trampoline with my son. A glass of red wine when the kids have gone to bed.

I personally don’t like... Champagne. Dog poo on the pavement. Travelling by tube in London. Having a big mortgage. Jockeys’ outfits.

I professionally like... The fantastic although fleeting moment of joy on completion of a great design. Unexpected and exciting offers of unusual opportunites. Meeting new and interesting like-minded people. A sense of achievement.

I professionally don’t like... Sitting in front of my computer all day answering emails. Feeling like I should always be doing something else. Feeling inadequate.