Biography
I was born in Derry city, N.Ireland. My father was drawing and painting before I was born. I
remember him drawing us as children. In my teacher training in Belfast I choose art as my
main subject. I specialised in ceramics, getting first place in N. Ireland for my final
exhibition. I love working with clay. I taught 20 years with young children and then seeing
the emotional needs of young children in the classroom, I trained in Art Therapy. I have
worked over 20 years as an art therapist. My main work has been with young children who
have experienced trauma of some kind. This has been a very special and privileged work for
me. I have kept up my own art, mainly painting, calligraphy, photography and making pots.
The inspiration for the silk painting I am displaying for this exhibition came from viewing the
early drawings of Georgia O Keeffe which were on display in Flowerfield Arts Centre near
where I live. I attended a silk painting workshop following on from the exhibition. It was my
first experience of silk painting. I felt excited by the colour that flows so freely on the silk
and merges so effortlessly and beautifully to become a whole new creation. I felt this is
what the theme of this exhibition-Towards a flourishing future -is all about. Like the ink on
the silk our future is about letting the ink flow to make ever more beautiful colours in our
world, interacting with others to discover their beauty and giftedness, creating new
relationships with others and the world.