A designer maker educator hello.. New at this!

Hello all, I am just setting up my profile etc on here.

a bit of background. I started my business in 1994 after graduating from the University of Wales. As a designer maker, my work has exhibited across Europe and in the US and I continue to explore ideas and work collaboratively with likeminded designer makers within different disciplines utilising different materials. In parallel, I love to encourage others to learn and to be creative which has lead to me to my current position as Subject Leader for Postgraduate courses in Craft at the University for Creative Arts.

I am an active member of the UK’s craft industry, which provides me with a unique perspective on education and requirements for the future of ‘the crafts’. My interests allow me to continuously develop craft education to enable more inclusive learning experiences which are adaptable to the students’ abilities and my exploration of ‘other’ materials and processes from different craft disciplines provides an extensive view of the industry.

Materials are my obsession; bridging my work as a designer maker and my role as an educator. Materials and their related processes determine not only the form and function of an object, but also the object’s interaction with the surrounding environment, connecting with personal memories and associations. The use of materials within my own work can be fun, contradictive, functional and thought provoking. The knowledge of other craft sectors has lead to the exploration of traditional techniques and processes, along with new technologies and digital processes, developing current and future craft practices.