SETTINGS OF STRANGE AND ENCHANTING MAGIC (2015 - 2017)

Susanna Clarke's 2004 novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell cast an intriguing spell upon me when I first encountered it. The story was a recommendation from fellow artists and friends Tomas Hijo and Soni Alcorn-Hender, with specific focus as a potential source of artistic inspiration. The recommendation most definitely took hold; this magical 1800's-set story of conflict between magicians and the human and faerie realm supplied a wealth of dream-like imagery, detail and variety of location. The settings in particular provide the basis for this series of solemn and unsettling artworks that place emphasis on the frightening and dream-like aspects of the novel. In 2017 works from this collection were exhibited publicly in two shows at Lancaster University (Telling in Full exhibition, July 2017) and Ripon Cathedral (The Great North Art Show 2017).