I still remember the thrill I felt the first time I found an owl feather.  As a child raised in cities I had never seen an owl in the wild, but here was this magical token of flight dropped by this creature of mystery.  Amazed at its downy softness and rich tawny colour, I marveled at the way its barbs split apart but then zipped together again at a stroke. I wanted to meet the feather’s owner; I wanted to learn his story.  And so I saved up for a pair of binoculars and started birdwatching as a ten year old. I’ve never stopped.

When I came across Chris Maynard’s art at a museum a decade ago, it struck me as the perfect fusion of the visual and tactile wonder of feathers with the opportunity to tell a narrative through this medium. Using a process developed by Chris, with whom I have worked for five years and who so generously taught me his techniques, I carve intricate depictions of birds inspired by their beauty in the natural world. I use ethically sourced undyed feathers, hand carved with surgical tools and mounted on entomology pins in shadow boxes to highlight their dimensionality.

Birds are so often our first point of contact with the wild.  Through my art I hope to give you a window into their lives, and inspire you to look more closely at the creatures around us with whom we share this marvelous planet.