Artwork
Doomed Divine Romance
Inspired by Greek mythology, imagining some of the doomed romances we never heard about....
3. Penthesilia - Off Guard
The Amazon Warrior Queen, caught in an off guard moment. She's heard about the lithe, demi-god Achilles, and dreams of meeting him on the battlefield at Troy, then taking it off the battlefield...
*Spoiler - slain by Achilles on the battlefield without a moment's thought.
2. When Poseidon Met Neptune
One sea, two gods.
Soul mates or conflict of interest?
Greek god of the sea meets Roman god of the sea.
Wait, what did you say you do? Well, this awkward.
1. Ceto & Helios
Ceto, primordial goddess of the sea.
Helios, sun god.
An unlikely romance.
Sunset.
Helios dips down and touches the ocean, as Ceto floats there, dreaming of him.
Muse: Medusa
Monster or heroine? It depends on how we view her. At the very least, let us say she is misunderstood. Despite harming no one, Medusa was hunted as a trophy by a man relying on divine intervention. She was loved by her sisters, and enjoyed a peaceful, simple life. Intrigued? I highly recommend Natalie Haynes’ Stone Blind, a gripping retelling of Medusa’s story.
'The rebirth of Medusa'
Inspired by modern retellings of Medusa’s story (Natalie Haynes), the idea of a woman hatching from an egg (Angela Carter), and of course, Botticelli’s iconic, The birth of Venus. Also: redheads.
Reframing a classic monster as a heroine, I reimagine Hermes and Athena remorsefully reviving Medusa. She emerges from an egg washed ashore, a symbol echoing her sea-god origins. Medusa’s sister Stheno reaches out to her. Red snakes mark her violent death. Closing her eyes, she poses no threat. Winged, radiant: the Gorgons look angelic.
'Mer-Dusa'
Reimagining Medusa’s fate, we glimpse this daughter of sea gods in the watery depths of her ocean home, coyly peeking out from beneath a protective veil of snake-hair.
'Gorgeous/Grotesque'
Gorgeous/Grotesque is about identity, perception, myth, portrayal, fears, judgement and power.
The painting reveals Medusa in real life, in warm colours, her back turned to spare us her deadly gaze. In the mirror – literally, how she has been framed – she looms larger than life, in cool colours. Yet even there, she casts her eyes down, refusing to harm us.
'Unwoven Spells: Circe's Last Gaze as Odysseus departs'
This painting captures Circe's magic unravelling as Odysseus leaves her. He is returning to his wife Penelope, and to a world that expects Circe to fade into the background. The title refers to weaving and unweaving, bringing to mind both Penelope’s loom and Circe’s spells.
This collection of four paintings was displayed as part of the Folklore, Fairytales, Myths & Legends exhibition at Queen Street Gallery, Neath from the 7th to 28th June 2025.
Departure
Departure is about fleeting moments: an electric glance with a stranger; a memory of a feeling that vanishes before you can place it; our time on earth.
Departure was displayed at Mid Wales Arts Gallery as part of the People Like Us portraits exhibition from 23rd March to 11th May 2025.
Stretch
‘Stretch’ emerged from the theme Routine and Ritual via exploration into physical movement and exercise routines, which usually incorporate stretching. The figure under the diaphanous fabric symbolises the blissful sensations and emotions that arise from these actions. The fluid, radiant white space mirrors the renewal and reset we can experience in mind and body through the simple and powerful act of stretching.
Stretch was displayed in Galley Gwyn's atrium, as part of the Ritual and Routine exhibition from 8th Feb - 5th April 2025.
Life drawing flurry
Perimenopause
When I created Perimenopause, there was nothing merry about it. I hoped that perhaps it might connect with the viewer via a thread of dark emotion. But perhaps it can also be relatable on a lighter level: provoking laughter at the recognition of a temporary mental state, which seems perilous and confusing at the time, but from which we emerge alongside others. We are not alone after all, we can laugh at ourselves, and that right there is a beautiful thing, and proof of hope.
Perimenopause was displayed in Gallery Gwyn's summer exhibition from August to October 2024.
Read more in my blog here
Final Major Project 'Routines & Rituals',
Art & Design Foundation, Coleg Ceredigion
Inspired by the rituals surrounding death and weddings, my artwork explores the intersecting themes of uncertainty and transition. I imagined a wary bride on her wedding day, and a woman on her deathbed, both on the brink of a journey into the unknown.
My research included Victorian death photography, where the deceased were posed with the living for a final memento. The long exposure time on cameras in the Victorian era meant that the photograph revealed the living as slightly blurred, the deceased as literally dead still. This blurring of the living seemed to fit well with the ghost drawing charcoal technique that I have used.
I was inspired by Frank Auerbach’s charcoal portraits, Bill Viola’s explorations of death, and Antony Gormley’s caves as ‘locations of imagination’.
I invite viewers to ponder the spaces in between life and death, dreams and reality.
Displayed at Gallery Gwyn, Aberaeron February to April 2025.
Penthesilia - Off Guard. Oil on wood. 61 x 80cm
When Poseidon met Neptune. Oil on wood. 96 x 61cm
Ceto & Helios. Oil on wood. 61 x 86cm.
The rebirth of Medusa. Oil on wood. 97 x 61cm. Gold foil frame
Mer-Dusa. Oil on wood. 61 x 54cm. Gold foil frame
Gorgeous/Grotesque. Oil on wood. 60 x 48cm. Gold leaf frame
Unwoven Spells: Circe's Last Glance as Odysseus departs.
Oil & acrylic on paper. 26 x 38cm. Gold leaf frame
Departure. Charcoal on paper. 43 x 53cm framed.
Stretch. Charcoal and gesso on plywood with a bespoke black wood frame.
Perimenopause.
Inks & pastels on cotton rag paper. 21 x 29cm, framed.
Twilight's Veiled Bride. Diptych. 120cm x 120cm, x2. Mixed media. SOLD
Gwenllian Ashley Art Prize 2024
Theme: Power & Climate Change
With this mixed media piece I strove to attract and provoke the viewer with an unusual, quirky perspective. I drew upon Carrington's surreal narratives and Höch's pioneering collage techniques.
I was awarded joint third prize and my piece was included in the exhibition at the Aberystwyth School of Art Gallery in April/May 2024. This achievement holds special significance for me as it not only recognises my creative endeavours but also highlights an urgent issue of our time.
Read about my visit to the Leonora Carrington: Rebel Visionary exhibition here
Evolution Revolution.
Mixed media on canvas. 51cm x 51cm.
Power.
Of art. To inspire. To empower. To challenge. To change.
Energy. Harnessing nature. Wind turbines.
Of nature. Fighting back. Evolving.
Nature commandeers the energy in wind turbines, reclaiming power.
Utilising the increased volume of the sea created by climate change, as an origin place for new species, revolutionising evolution.
Nature creates solutions: hybrid creatures that regenerate like cells, dividing and multiplying.
Each creature consumes something different:
Sewage.
Plastic.
Toxic chemicals including weedkiller.
Pharmaceuticals including antibiotics.
Methane.
Each creature excretes something different:
Oxygen.
Carbon dioxide.
Clean water.
Soil nutrients.
Influences: Leonora Carrington, Hannah Hoch.
Acrylic paint, collage, oil pastel on canvas.