The Pink Shoe Lady

After studying Shoe Design (Fashion and Textiles) at Leicester Polytechnic I set up a studio collective The Camden Set with five other designers. I sold my hand printed garments in our Hyper Hyper and Kensington Market outlets and showing at Clothes Show Live. Eventually I donated my sample collection to the V&A Street Style exhibition and I began my art teaching career.

Twenty years after taking the degree, I returned to shoes as a motif for my paintings and found that 20th Century paper ephemera such as maps and newspapers supported my interest in creating memory boxes. These reflect domestic scenes of home and family, often related to the make and mend issues which were strongly observed in my family.

Sourcing and finding my collage materials is part of the journey of making. Assembling images out of their original context allows me to investigate association and cultural meaning. Fragments of vintage cloth and paper are worked into the painted texture of the canvas, with the curve of a stiletto shoe outline stencilled on the layers. Button detail and hand blocked text give a direction to each piece.

Starting to sell my work at school fetes led to the South East Open Studio scheme. I now regularly exhibit my work at contemporary art fairs and galleries, with a permanent collection at Wills Art Warehouse. After magazine features, much of my work is created on a commission basis.

1979 - 1980	Art Foundation	Jacob Kramer, Leeds
1981	BA Hons. Fashion & Textiles	Leicester Polytechnic
1981 - 1996	Fashion Designer	The Camden Set	Kensington Market and Hyper Hyper
			Clothes Show Live
2003	PGCE Art