From a young age I have been inspired to create using foraged materials. In 2018 I started making natural inks and earth pigments to shift towards nature-based art making.

Here is a collection of explorations with natural materials, from botanical dyeing on silk to creating earth pigments from rocks and crafting with shells.

Over the years I have learnt from many wonderful teachers, including plant teachers, about the importance of harvesting mindfully and taking only what you need to ensure that ecosystems are not harmed. I bring respect for and gratitude towards natures gifts. I strive to learn more about the names, histories, and stories of what I forage, to form an intimate connection with the landscape around me.

Indigenous scholar Robin Wall-Kimmerer has written about The Honourable Harvest in her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. I have illustrated some of these principles in the painting below.