Over the last three years I have become more and more fascinated by willow with its diverse range of species and variety of uses.  I love to share this passion and fascination with others. The textures of the different barks, shiny dark plum, vibrant orange or the silky appearance of violet bark with its soft grey bloom are just some of the exciting elements of this plant. As part of the work with Littoral I am lucky enough to be able to grow as well as work with willow giving me the opportunity to experience the fresh smells of harvesting  in the cold days of winter, and the excitement of seeing the first green buds, our proof of a successful planting.

When introducing the topic of willow to children  I include some of the contemporary uses of willow such as short rotation coppicing for bio-mass fuel and bio engineering along with traditional basket making. Willow for my work is sourced from both locally grown and farmed willow from Somerset and Devon.

Much of the sculptural work I do incorporates traditional basket-making techniques, as can be seen in the Stephenson's Rocket made for St Ann's School in Rainhill. In projects such as this and the Concorde for Manchester Airport I love the contradiction of using a natural material, willow, to replicate engineered machines.

Willow sculptures can be commissioned in two ways, either I will complete the work following consultation and a site visit if necessary, or I can work with a community or school groups to complete the work. Part of this project may be to have the group carry out research to come up with design ideas.

All of my work is finished with a a traditional linseed oil based preservative to give the sculpture greater longevity.