About me
why did you start doing torn paper collage?
Greetings and welcome to my website. I am a self-taught artist and illustrator, who creates torn paper art. I was born in Huddersfield West Yorkshire, England.
Since childhood, I have had an interest in drawing and painting. I could always be found with a pen or a paintbrush in my hand. My dream from an early age was to become an illustrator of children's books.
Over the years, I have tried many different outlets for my creativity. This includes everything from painting, jewellery making, decoupage, papercutting and book folding.
As a keen recycler, I love to upcycle unwanted items. I can often be found rummaging around in a skip or taking home unwanted items of furniture. I love to to something that people consider rubbish and turn it into something beautiful. Torn paper collage allows me to do this.
How long have you been doing torn paper collage?
I began creating torn paper art around six years ago. My first piece was a kingfisher titled 'birdwatcher'. I then went on to create more wildlife pieces. These reflect my love of the natural world and the amazing creatures that you find in it. My aim is to show the majesty and beauty of these precious animals. I personally have great concern about the many species that are endangered and are going extinct.
How do you create a torn paper collage?
I use old magazines, books and flyers, tear and precisely cut them and blend them together to create a beautiful piece of art that is full of texture and detail. I now feel that I have found my niche with torn paper collage, as it incorporates everything I love. I call it painting with paper. Its a very messy process ( I can often be found ankle deep in scraps of paper and requires a lot of time and patience to create each piece. But I feel the results are well worth it
Why did you start doing seascapes?
Recently, I have started to create seascapes. It all started with me thinking about the many happy family holidays my daughters and I spent with my late mother. We always went to Cornwall, and her favourite place was Polperro. With many tears along the way, I created my first seascape in her memory.
Since then I have gone on to create many more seascapes of Cornwall and the Whitby area. I love the quaintness of these places with their whitewashed buildings and red roof tops. I especially love to add the tiny detail. I often say the closer you look at my creations, the more you will see.
