Drip Splatter Smear served as a reflective marker in my artistic journey, celebrating ten years since I began my professional creative practice. The exhibition showcased a series of abstract glass and paper artworks, which were developed with the support of an Arts Council England DYCP grant and created in my studio in Ryde, on the Isle of Wight.

Holding the exhibition at the Isle of Wight’s main multidisciplinary arts venue allowed me to present my work in a large, expansive space. This environment gave me the freedom to scale up my creations and push the boundaries of my practice. The residency format of the project enabled me to engage directly with the public, inviting them into my creative process and offering a hands-on experience that not only helped me build my network but also inspired me to explore new ideas in a collaborative, open setting. This interaction was key in evolving my practice and connecting my work with a wider audience.

Throughout Drip Splatter Smear, I created new works in the gallery space, exposing my artistic process and closely connecting with audiences. Being actively present in the space allowed me to engage directly with visitors, answering their questions, sharing my techniques, and encouraging dialogue about my creative practice.

This hands-on interaction lifted the veil on the artistic process, offering a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of an artist. Transparency and real-time engagement like this are often reserved for online platforms or kept hidden from public view, so it felt meaningful to bring people into my creative space. I shared how I experiment with paint—smearing, dripping, layering, and erasing—and demonstrated how I repurpose everyday materials to create unique marks and textures.

Many visitors expressed how much they valued being part of this process, gaining insight into the techniques and inspirations behind my work.

Accompanying Drip Splatter Smear, I offered free workshops that responded directly to my exhibition and residency, inviting participants to explore mark-making and abstraction as an expressive, non-verbal tool for self-expression. The workshops aimed to share my organic methods of painting, where playfulness and creativity are key.

I transformed part of the gallery into a transitional space, where layers of paper hung to guide visitors from the exhibition into the creative zone. Participants were encouraged to use everyday, throwaway materials—like packaging, toothbrushes, and tights—alongside natural objects such as sticks and seed heads. I invited everyone to get messy and use their hands, mirroring the techniques I use in my own practice, from smearing to dripping paint.

These workshops were open to all ages, from children to adults, allowing everyone to explore, play, and co-create in a relaxed, hands-on environment. The focus was on the process, encouraging participants to freely mark make and experiment with new forms of self-expression. This approach allowed people to discover new ways of connecting with their own creativity.

Quay Arts artist facilitator Lucia Para guided a group of young people aged 8-12 through an exploration of the exhibition, focusing on the concept of negative space.

As they delved into the works, the group expressed curiosity about how negative space could be transparent, sparking a lively discussion. One piece in particular led them to wonder if what they were viewing might represent a hat, showing their creative interpretation of abstract forms. The students also perceived the paper works as doodles, drawing connections between the spontaneous, flowing nature of the artwork and their own informal mark-making experiences.

This exploration encouraged them to view and interpret art through their own imaginative lens.

Artist Caroline Underwood lead a visit with the Quay Arts Youth Art Session with young people aged 12 - 15. The session began with a tour of the exhibition, where the group engaged with the artwork through thoughtful discussion. One student, in particular, was drawn to an asymmetrical piece, describing it as reminiscent of a waterfall.

The students then moved into the creative space at the end of the exhibition, where they experimented with mark-making. Inspired by the prompts, props, and materials provided, they explored various techniques, including waterfall-inspired dripping effects.

Caroline went on to introduce them to traditional brushwork exercises rooted in ancient Chinese ink painting. With these newly learned techniques, the students selected individual themes for their work, ranging from nature-inspired subjects to architectural designs. Caroline also guided them through mindful, meditative mark-making based on the principles of enso painting. As part of this practice, the group experimented with "water writing" on a large scroll of water-writing cloth, observing how the wet marks faded over time, linking the experience to the ancient meditative tradition of writing with water on stones.

The group created lots of experimental work exploring abstract patterns, fluid lines, bold brushstrokes, delicate lines, and circular forms to representations of landscapes, architecture, and figures. Each piece reflected the students' personal engagement with the materials, exercises and the exhibition.

I was selected by the Isle of Wight Creative Network to participate in a crit session facilitated by Portsmouth-based artist support mentor Alys Scott Hawkins. The session, held during my exhibition in the Quay Arts gallery space, brought together loca IWCN creatives to engage with my project work using the "Critical Response Process," a structured format developed by dance artist Liz Lerman. A method of thoughtful feedback and dialogue, encouraging constructive and supportive critique.

The session was also attended by the Quay Arts manager Ian Whitmore, Education Officer Hannah George, and IWCN founder Georgia Newman. Their insights helped deepen my understanding of my work and its potential. The diversity of perspectives shared sparked really interesting discussions and innovative ideas, creating a collaborative atmosphere that was both inspiring and enriching.

After attending a free family drop-in event, MAKE YOUR MARK, Gemma Whitehead, a teacher from Freshwater and Yarmouth Primary School, approached me about bringing her Year 4 class to the exhibition. With the support of the Quay Arts team, I facilitated a 90-minute session for 24 children, aged 8-9.

The children were encouraged to explore the exhibition independently, where I demonstrated my current project, Ritual, by dipping a garden stick in paint and making swirling motions on paper. This sparked a lot of interest, and I discussed how they could create art using found objects.

The session included rotating activities to ensure everyone had focused attention. The children made mark-making tools from everyday household items, such as cleaning sponges, disposable wooden cutlery, and cardboard packaging, then used these to experiment with paint. We also created a large collaborative drawing on a long sheet of paper, where they were free to express themselves without specific instructions.

They also experimented with Enzo circles, using black ink to respond to the circular forms in the exhibition. Some children were lively and energetic, while others were more quiet and reflective. It was a fantastic session, and I was thrilled to see how engaged both the children and staff were, all enjoying the opportunity to express themselves creatively.

I was invited to showcase my work at the Arch Window Gallery by local artists and curators Jan Frith and Violet Mareck. This cross-promotional exhibition ran concurrently with Drip Splatter Smear for four weeks, featuring new pieces I created during my residency in the gallery space.

It was a really interesting contrast creating the works in one gallery space and then transporting them to another. The pieces truly transformed in the Arch Window Gallery.

The environment, defined by its striking glass windows, added a whole new dimension. As the light shifted and reflections from the surrounding street interacted with the glass, the works evolved. The interplay of shadows, passing people, and changing light made the environment as much a part of the work as the materials themselves, breathing new life into each piece.

After viewing the exhibition, 16-year-old Betty George, in a quiet and reflective moment, asked if she could roller-skate in the space as a way to engage with and respond to the artworks. Her request was an unexpected yet intuitive reaction, blending movement with art appreciation.

By roller-skating through the exhibition, Betty sought to physically immerse herself in the space, allowing the fluidity of her movements to echo the energy of the pieces around her. This unique form of interaction added a dynamic layer to the experience, as she used her body and rhythm to interpret the art in a deeply personal and spontaneous way, blurring the lines between viewer, performer, and the art itself.

"I liked skating around the artwork. It was unusual, but nice being surrounded by artwork. I’m in the moment when I skate. I’ve never skated in the gallery before I wanted to because of the smooth surface and that it would be quiet. Me and my mum noticed the ‘X’ marks and I did some skating moves that were like ‘X’s to connect to the artwork".

This live performance during the Isle of Wight Biosphere Festival weekend was the first time I performed my painting ritual in front of an audience. The piece was created in real-time, and for the first time, the audience could hear the music I was listening to as I worked.

Using a stick dipped in paint, I swirled and moved it across the paper, responding emotionally to the music. This allowed me to directly translate my emotional responses into visible marks.

The performance aspect added a unique layer of interaction, as the audience witnessed the artwork unfolding before them, with each stroke and movement influenced by the music. It was an incredibly special moment, knowing that a large audience had gathered specifically to see this piece created, connecting with both the process and the energy of the moment.

After the success of the Drip Splatter Smear workshops, I was invited back to Quay Arts to lead two additional family workshops. These sessions allowed participants of all ages to transform abstract painted papers from the previous workshops into new collages and 3D sculptures. They were encouraged to reuse existing painted marks and experiment with techniques like cutting, folding, crimping, and gluing to create unique shapes and forms.

The workshops encouraged collaboration and creativity, with families working together to develop ideas and share materials. Participants engaged with abstract art in a relaxed, non-judgmental setting, exploring new ways to express themselves visually. Many families left feeling inspired to continue experimenting with abstract art at home.

After visiting my exhibition, residency, and workshops, Kay McCran, Art Lead at the Isle of Wight College, invited me to speak with the Year 1 and 2 art students about my work and career path. Quay Arts kindly funded the visit, where I had the opportunity to discuss my journey as an artist, my creative process, and my community projects. I also looked through the students' sketchbooks and engaged with them about their individual projects, offering encouragement and guidance.

As part of the visit, I did a live demonstration of how I create my ‘Ritual’ series, showing the students the techniques and materials I use. I was thrilled to donate the piece I created during the demonstration to the college.

The feedback from the students was incredibly positive. One student shared, “The obsessiveness with certain things is relatable,” while another said, “I found it quite fascinating.” It was wonderful to hear that my approach to materials and form resonated with them. I was grateful for the chance to share my experiences and insights, and it was rewarding to connect with the students on a personal level, offering support and encouragement for their creative journeys.