Profile
I am a cross-disciplinary artist, working for Open College of the Arts as a tutor since 2008 and a Unit Leader for Printmaking since 2015, working on various modules including Printmaking, Photography, Drawing and Painting.
For ten years (2007 – 2017), I was Course Leader for BA (Hons) Contemporary Photographic Arts and Module Leader for Contextual Studies and Dissertations, at Batley School of Art.
In 2017, I started a new position at the University of Huddersfield teaching Creative Writing and Fashion Promotion within the Department of Art, Design and Architecture.
My research interests revolve around art and photo-embedded novels (particularly with regards to creative non-fiction and the use of photography), inspired by the writer and artist Graham Rawle http://www.grahamrawle.com/ and also Creative Non-Fiction books: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/06/sweet-caress-william-boyd-review-textual-hall-mirrors-brilliant-story-life-well-lived
After studying A-levels in printmaking, art and photography (traditional and digital) at college, I entered into a career of 15 years working for the media, including nine years working from home monitoring local radio and television stations. I then moved on to work for the Press Association at its Northern Headquarters in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire and worked in the Copytaking department as a Copy Co-ordinator, working with reporters and press photographers, training staff and liaising with Editors of national newspapers.
Based on what I had learnt and developed during my time at P.A. I decided to change my career into teaching and returned to university as a mature student, studying BA (Hons.) Fine Art (Sculpture) at the University of Leeds at the Bretton Hall college, situated within the Yorkshire Sculpture Park where I was inspired by contemporary artists including Brit Artists who were hitting the headlines at the time regarding their installation work. My own work was influenced by unsolved local murders and missing people which I had encountered whilst monitoring the news, culminating in an exhibition at Longsides Gallery with an installation room which was ‘frozen in time’ whereby all components were coated in white plaster.
After completing my degree and due to my love of photography and printmaking resurfacing, I decided to specialise in this subject area and applied to study an MA in Printmaking at Bradford College with a focus on photographic drawing, silk screen printing, photo etching and artists’ books. The emphasis was on exhibiting and I held several collaborative exhibitions at South Square Gallery, Bradford and Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax including an international exhibition in the Czech Republic. My work continued to draw influence from mass media and in particular dark, satirical stories and Celebrity Culture. Towards the end of my MA, I developed a love of combining famous paintings of the past, merged with digital photographic self-portraits in the form of photographic silk screen prints.
I completed my studies to date with a teaching qualification: PGCE in Art & Design at the University of Huddersfield and trained at York College where I was subsequently offered work teaching A-level Photography part-time. On my final day of studies, I was offered a permanent position teaching on the degree programmes at Batley School of Art.
In my spare time I am Yorkshire Regional Chairwoman for the British Institute of Professional Photography and I am also Newsletter Editor / Photographer / Blogger at York Art Society where I regularly exhibit paintings at the De Grey Rooms in York. I also enjoy making photo books and short movies of my holiday travels and have ongoing plans to research my full family tree!
You can view examples of my exhibited work on the 'Gallery' page.
Photograph (above) of Martin Parr and myself at the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP) conference, October 2009 kindly taken by Steve Bingham, member of BIPP. The image was a finalist in the Guardian competition 'Richard and Famous' in conjunction with the Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, Friday 25 November, 2011 and can be viewed here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/interactive/2011/nov/25/your-pictures-my-famous-friend
Photographs (below) with various famous people I have met, including the artist David Shrigley.
For ten years (2007 – 2017), I was Course Leader for BA (Hons) Contemporary Photographic Arts and Module Leader for Contextual Studies and Dissertations, at Batley School of Art.
In 2017, I started a new position at the University of Huddersfield teaching Creative Writing and Fashion Promotion within the Department of Art, Design and Architecture.
My research interests revolve around art and photo-embedded novels (particularly with regards to creative non-fiction and the use of photography), inspired by the writer and artist Graham Rawle http://www.grahamrawle.com/ and also Creative Non-Fiction books: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/06/sweet-caress-william-boyd-review-textual-hall-mirrors-brilliant-story-life-well-lived
After studying A-levels in printmaking, art and photography (traditional and digital) at college, I entered into a career of 15 years working for the media, including nine years working from home monitoring local radio and television stations. I then moved on to work for the Press Association at its Northern Headquarters in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire and worked in the Copytaking department as a Copy Co-ordinator, working with reporters and press photographers, training staff and liaising with Editors of national newspapers.
Based on what I had learnt and developed during my time at P.A. I decided to change my career into teaching and returned to university as a mature student, studying BA (Hons.) Fine Art (Sculpture) at the University of Leeds at the Bretton Hall college, situated within the Yorkshire Sculpture Park where I was inspired by contemporary artists including Brit Artists who were hitting the headlines at the time regarding their installation work. My own work was influenced by unsolved local murders and missing people which I had encountered whilst monitoring the news, culminating in an exhibition at Longsides Gallery with an installation room which was ‘frozen in time’ whereby all components were coated in white plaster.
After completing my degree and due to my love of photography and printmaking resurfacing, I decided to specialise in this subject area and applied to study an MA in Printmaking at Bradford College with a focus on photographic drawing, silk screen printing, photo etching and artists’ books. The emphasis was on exhibiting and I held several collaborative exhibitions at South Square Gallery, Bradford and Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax including an international exhibition in the Czech Republic. My work continued to draw influence from mass media and in particular dark, satirical stories and Celebrity Culture. Towards the end of my MA, I developed a love of combining famous paintings of the past, merged with digital photographic self-portraits in the form of photographic silk screen prints.
I completed my studies to date with a teaching qualification: PGCE in Art & Design at the University of Huddersfield and trained at York College where I was subsequently offered work teaching A-level Photography part-time. On my final day of studies, I was offered a permanent position teaching on the degree programmes at Batley School of Art.
In my spare time I am Yorkshire Regional Chairwoman for the British Institute of Professional Photography and I am also Newsletter Editor / Photographer / Blogger at York Art Society where I regularly exhibit paintings at the De Grey Rooms in York. I also enjoy making photo books and short movies of my holiday travels and have ongoing plans to research my full family tree!
You can view examples of my exhibited work on the 'Gallery' page.
Photograph (above) of Martin Parr and myself at the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP) conference, October 2009 kindly taken by Steve Bingham, member of BIPP. The image was a finalist in the Guardian competition 'Richard and Famous' in conjunction with the Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, Friday 25 November, 2011 and can be viewed here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/interactive/2011/nov/25/your-pictures-my-famous-friend
Photographs (below) with various famous people I have met, including the artist David Shrigley.
