A Woman’s Place

My current project is exploring female identity and motherhood in my own life and in famous imagery.

I’m aiming to exhibit ‘A Woman’s Place’ in London later this year and in other cities in Spring 2027 - details to follow.

Here are a combination of sketches, works in progress and final pieces for the project. The work has involved an introduction to 2 completely new mediums for me - sculpture and printing, with varied results alongside a lot of learning. Whilst some of this is not final work/has sold but it’s very much a part of the journey so I wanted to put it together to clarify my thoughts!

Details

Le déjeuner sur l’homme?

Inspired by Manet’s ‘Le déjeuner sur l’herbe’, a painting that was just asking to be reversed. So perhaps ‘Le déjeuner sur l’homme’!

Oil and acrylic on canvas 100 x 71cm

The Thinker lost wax model

This small wax model will be melted away using the lost wax method to become my first bronze.

I shout at the TV!

Last year I fell into a conversation with the owner of a shoe shop about her frustation with politicians.

‘I shout at the TV’ she said, ‘but they don’t hear me.’

As world conflicts began and wars raged, I found the image of a silent impotent scream coming back to me. I wanted to explore (and exorcise) my frustation and sense of futility in protesting against current events. Perhaps something personal was also in the mix, but I wasn’t conscious of it at the time.

I decided to paint it as a self portrait in an earthy squat of defiance! The outfit - a dressing gown, the costume of inactivity and staying stuck in one place. The pixelated background began to take over the portrait, seeming to spar with her and ultimately win.

‘I shout at the TV” oil on canvas 90 x 120cm

‍Vitruvian Woman

Vitruvian Woman is one of my first prints done as a dry point etching. I’ve always wanted to depict Da Vinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’ image as a powerful female giving birth. I did a life size painting of this on corrugated cardboard during lockdown, and was interested to try it as an etching.

Wednesday Lunch

We had lunch in a cosy dark cafe in Hampstead. Next to us sat an elderly woman dining alone with a huge bowl of pasta and a glass of wine. She was extremely frail and small, padded by cushions and clothes - the effort of each mouthful was palpable. But this meal seemed ritualistic, almost sacred, and I found it deeply moving. Her choice to enjoy a sensory experience despite the obvious challenges of old age was inspiring.

Pool birth sketch for work in progress

Sketch for work in progress

March of Progress - evolution of woman

Ink pen on tracing paper as a family member chucked water over the original drawing! To be explored further.

Your Child Needs You!

For all the stressed parents under pressure out there…at times this image would float into my mind. Based on Kitchener’s poster calling young men to fight in WW2.

Sandra

This large scale piece was painted on my old favourite corrugated cardboard, with an acrylic base followed by oil, 130 x 130cm.

Capturing a summer's day in my friend Sandra’s garden, I was struck by the contrast between her sleeping daughter and our older kids marching forwards gripping their water pistols with intent. Maybe it was something to do with my anxieties as a mum at this time? Or just a painting of our kids gone feral in the garden?!

Jump!

‍Rough maquette for The Thinker ‍
‍Early ideas based on a female version of Rodin’s ‘Thinker’ taking form.

The Thinker in clay

My first sculpture! A female thinker/doer in terracotta clay.