Exploring plant colour at the intersection of history, horticulture, art, and craft
about me
I have always been a maker.
I trained as an architect and spent more than twenty years working in the design and construction industry. Over time, I became increasingly aware of the distance between abstract design and the physical act of making. Seeking a more direct connection with materials and the natural world, I left my profession and became a gardener.
It was through gardening that I discovered natural dyeing and ecoprinting. Watching colour emerge from leaves, flowers, roots, and bark revealed an entirely new way of creating. I was captivated by the richness and complexity of plant-based colour, and by the idea that the materials themselves could become part of the story.
For me, creating with plant-based colour is more than a technique—it is a way of paying attention, fostering connection, and making visible the often-overlooked richness of the living world.
I work from my garden and studio in Henley-on-Thames, where the changing seasons continue to shape both the colours I grow and the stories I tell through my work.
art practice
My work is rooted in growing, gathering, and transforming plants into colour. Most of the dyes I use come from plants that I cultivate myself, creating a direct connection between the garden and the finished piece. The process is slow and seasonal, shaped by the rhythms of nature and the unique characteristics of each plant.
Working exclusively with plant-based colours, I am interested in the stories embedded within the materials themselves. Through natural dyeing and ecoprinting, I explore the relationship between cultivation, creativity, and place.
There is something profoundly satisfying about growing my own colour. The process is slow, results unpredictable and frequently unrepeatable.
In an increasingly digital and intangible world, I am drawn to the tactile and unpredictable qualities of working with natural materials. Every piece carries traces of the plants from which it was made, reflecting both the beauty of the natural world and the processes that brought it into being.
dye garden
The dye garden is at the heart of my practice. I grow a variety of plants chosen for the colours they produce, including a range of tinctorials and many heritage dye plants. Caring for these plants from seed to harvest creates a direct connection between the garden and the finished work.
Growing my own dye plants allows me to follow the complete journey of colour—from living plant to dyed cloth. The garden is both a source of colour and inspiration. Seasonal changes, weather patterns, and the natural life cycle of each plant influence the colours I create and the stories they tell. Working so closely with these materials deepens my understanding of their unique qualities and the colours they yield.
More than a collection of plants, the garden is an exploration of colour at its source.