Some of us have always been drawn to the small, yet miraculous. I’m sure I’m not alone, infact I know I’m not, because through my work running workshops I meet others like me. People who love sticks as much as I do. People whose eyes light up when I joyfully exclaim that leaves, pebbles & feathers are my favourite things too! For as long as I can remember I have been excited by things I’ve found in nature, & I’ve always wanted to keep them so I can relive the magic of this wonder again & again. Mrs. Whitehouse, my favourite teacher, loved nature too, & I remember very proudly taking a massive crabs claw to school to show her, quite oblivious to the stench of rotting crab meat! Around the same age I was delighted to find a birds nest (a whole birds nest!) so much so that I kept it in a margarine tub under my bed. Whenever I find an unusual treasure like an owl pellet or snake skin, I can’t help wanting to share the discovery with others. Nowadays select treasures are stored in a set of old wooden drawers in my studio. They house things like dried bits of conker shell, bird skulls, heather roots, seed pods, leaf skeletons and choice pebbles.
The Little Treasures collection is a celebration of all these things that are tiny, yet momentous. It is inspired by their perfect form, the excitement of discovering them and the magical sense of connectedness they evoke - a bit like the people we love most. I hope this collection will be enjoyed by people of all ages who feel alive in nature & enjoy sharing this passion with others. I avoided illustrating natural forms that are not widely spread in the UK, as it is my hope that the designs, especially the calendar, will encourage people to get out & see what can be found, throughout the year.
