Painting for me is about exploration, discovery and making connections. My studio is a hermitage, a place of solitude and reflection that enables me to re-member and make some sense of my human experience. Art can hold the axis between the spiritual and material dimensions. The physicality of paint, the smell and feel and mess of it are an anchor. They bring the psychological and spiritual journey of self-discovery and being present in the world, down to earth.
I work in mixed media including painting, print making, textiles and collage. I have also worked in encaustic. This ancient way of painting uses hot beeswax, resin and pigment and will involve laying down about twenty or so layers of wax onto a board. Into this surface colour, photographic print and drawn images can be layered. The wax and resin create an opaque or translucent surface which can be scraped back or scratched into and pigments or inks can then be worked into these marks. Each layer of wax is fused with a heat gun to create either a smooth glassy surface or, if cooler wax is added to the surface, a rich texture can be formed. There is a kind of alchemy about working with fragrant beeswax and resin and colour which I find fascinating.
I live in beautiful West Cornwall, working as both an artist and a priest. Prior to being ordained I worked for several years in the Health Service as an occupational therapist. For almost twenty years my husband Kenny Macaulay and I lived in Edinburgh and our three daughters were born in Scotland. I have heart connections and visual memory stores in both ends of the country!
During the last twenty five years in ordained ministry I have used image and word to create resources for reflection, prayer, Quiet Days and retreats. In the last couple of years the main focus of my time and energies has shifted to my creative work but artwork and ministry continue to inform and shape each other.