In the process of seeking inspiration for my work, I have discovered a wealth of ideas in vessel and other forms from many cultures, traditions and disciplines. Each idea becomes a seed that either grows, expands, changes shape and flowers or remains dormant until called forth some time in the future.
Sometimes I follow through specific themes, other times I become excited by a new idea and go off at a tangent to try something quite different. I enjoy the infinite challenges and risks that are part of the process; wood is alive - it moves, shrinks, puckers and splits - constantly presenting me with new possibilities. What emerged was the beginnings of a new movement away from the precise and perfect ‘pretty wood bowl’ to a more ‘Freestyle’ approach, allowing influences from other media to penetrate and challenging the established wisdom of required thickness, polished wood forms that were generally accepted at the time