I thought you would like to see some of my collection of items that have inspired my work over the years.
This old tin bucket is full of shells, beach pottery, sea glass and many other things that I have found along the Orkney shoreline. The orange piece is a bit of plastic fisherman's buoy covered with barnacles. In days gone by folk just tipped thier rubbish on to the shoreline. It isn't as bad as it sounds! there was no plastic in those days, mainly pottery and glass and that is why today the best places to look for this 'old rubbish' is around the shore below our villages. I have even found some old World war one pottery from the sunken scuttled german fleet around the shorelines of Scapa flow! Of course that is rare and there are still plenty of shells and other 'flotsam' to be found.
I love these flat oval beach pebbles. These were found on a visit to St Ninian beach in Shetland. Apparently they are this shape because of the flow of the tide on this particular beach. Different feathers are also a favourite and I also use them to make marks on my pictures. On the bottom left of the picture is an old pottery knob from a stone water bottle, a great find! The painted tiles at the back and the swallow mug are part of a big collection of pottery that I have.
This picture is the view from my studio window. In the foreground is a painted cockerel teapot which I love the colours of and a few other pieces of pottery that I made with potter Robert Palmer who has a studio down the corridor from me. Behind the cockerel is an old 'Gardens' lemonade bottle, I love old bottles and I have a collection of them. Behind the bottle is a fused glass image of Stromness, again it is the colours of the glass which attracts me.
Me with a few of my original paintings.
I hope you enjoy seeing inside my studio and feel free to come and visit me!