Portfolio of Works

‘Block Play’ - 2023

cast glass

At this point in time, both of my children are in their mid to late teens. That gorgeous plump roundness that characterised their faces when they were little has given way to the more contoured look of adulthood and they are becoming young men in their own right. Like many mothers, I look at them and wonder how they got to this point so quickly!

The Block Play series is inspired by my own - and other - children and is a homage to their development. Using textures and different surface finishes, these works aim to capture the emotional and psychological experiences that help children understand and interact with the world around them as they mature in to adulthood.

‘A Backpackers Journey’ - 2023/24

Fused and Cast glass

Based on my travels during my mid twenties, these works are an interpretation of special places around the world that left me in awe. (This is an ongoing series)

Naisiae (Nay-zee) - 2022

meaning “hard working one”

Fused glass

In 1995 I backpacked through Egypt, Jordan and Israel and then down the East Coast of Africa - from Kenya through to Cape Town! During my four month journey I really fell in love with the African continent. It is a place where I felt that if I lay down on the soil for long enough - I would simply melt right back into the origins of humanity. It's a continent that just seems to stay in your cells.

Naisiae is an expression of my Africa - a small piece of one of the cultures i experienced there. It's a bit of Maasai that I only got to taste, and one I don't profess to really understand - but one that I thought was worth showing to the world. Naisiae stands at 1.65 m high and is representative of the Shuka (sarong) and traditiional neckpiece worn by the Maasai women.

‘Balance’ - 2022

cast glass

Balance I, II and III are an exploration in the process of glass finishing. This process involves cutting, grinding, sanding and polishing the glass to achieve different finishes.

As a glass artist, the ongoing dialogue in your head becomes "How much time to time do I spend working on a piece? When do I stop? When is a piece overworked or underworked?” I believe these are questions that artists of any medium ask themselves and the struggle is to find the ‘balance’.

“Wired and Fired” - 2021 - 2023

cast glass bowls

Wired and Fired grew out of an Auckland workshop that I did in 2019 with one of New Zealand’s best know glass casters - Evelyn Dunstan. Using wire inclusions was originally experimental but then i became fascinated with the different ways you could embed wire into cast glass forms. Although I had done a bit of casting before, it was really this workshop that set me on the path to making more sculptural and 3D type art forms. Evelyn was an amazing teacher - very giving of her knowledge and time - and she continues to answer all of my casting questions when things go wrong (and that can still be often!). I’m forever grateful for having experienced her as a teacher. Her own work is amazing and pre-covid, she frequently taught on the world circuit. Like many NZ artists, she is probably more well known overseas - you can see her work here.

“Woven in Light” - 2016 - 2019

Fused Glass Bowls

The 'Woven in Light' series is inspired by my grandmother's weaving. I grew up in Auckland and my granny lived on Frederick Street in Hillsborough - a street which runs along the cliff above Hillsborough Bay (funnily enough, the next bay along is called "Grannys Bay"). My gran had a very large floor loom that she made blankets, throws, wall hangings, table mats and all sorts on! I have very fond memories of watching her feet on the pedals and the weft and warp dancing with the shuttle - the end result being evenly woven works of art! As a little girl i thought it was all pretty magical! Her loom was based in a large shed in her garden - which was also a work of art with pathways that wound their way down towards the cliff. All of my extended family have items woven by Gran and they are very treasured pieces.