During the 90s, I lived in Athens and travelled widely throughout Greece, especially to Santorini and Crete. It was on these islands, the home of the ancient Minoan Civilisation, that I encountered beautiful wall paintings that would come to shape my journey as an artist. The Spring Fresco, in particular, resonated deeply with me. The movement of swallows swooping through the sky, the softness of lilies against a rocky landscape captivated me, and has offered an aesthetic from which I continue to draw artistic inspiration.

During my years in Greece I painted the motif of lilies and swallows in watercolours, shaped them in papier-mâché, and stitched them into beading. When I moved back to the UK, the lilies even found their way onto my wedding dress. Years later, when I began exploring mosaic, my very first piece was a garden table. Instinctively, there they were again – the mountains, the lilies, and the two swallows at the centre. It felt like a full circle moment, as if the motif had been patiently waiting for me to work with it in this medium.

Alongside these early influences of motifs from Greece, my work today also draws inspiration from two main themes: the natural world and the emotional landscape of modern life.

My treatment of the natural world is often filtered through my fascination for Art Nouveau and Celtic art. My work engages the sinuous designs of natural motifs, especially flowers and foliage, such as Lilies in a Golden Vase and the Pink Lilies series. Using the principle of Celtic design with weaving the elements, and softened by the principle of Art Nouveau fluidity, my mosaics aim to maintain the rich visual landscape of both forms and their sense of flow.

Mosaic entered my life at a time when I needed something grounding for my own wellbeing. The slow, physical process of working with my hands — placing fragments together to form something whole — offered calm, focus, and space to heal. That experience remains central to how I understand my practice. Although most of my mosaics are direct celebrations of nature, others are more symbolic, telling quieter stories beneath the surface. Incorporating a variety of discarded materials, such as broken mirrors, reclaimed copper wire, alongside tiles and smalti, I narrate tales of mental anguish and healing. Thus, the birds and lilies of ancient Santorini, reimagined in glass smalti, are filtered through an emotional lens of catharsis and healing. They have taken me on a journey to where I find myself today.