For me, there is a magic in weaving: creating something ordered, beautiful and meaningful from a mass of chaotic unruly threads is fascinating. There is definitely a meditative aspect and I become completely absorbed in the process: from intuitive selection of the yarns to the repetitive, rhythmic movement of making the warp, and the assembly of the warp threads on the loom in a tidy, regimented arrangement, ready to be woven into fabric. Recurring actions and a measured way of working, with each step logically following the one that has gone before, become a recipe for creating a new material. It’s a procedure that leads to something tangible, with the sequence of threads or the properties of the materials introducing an element of chance, leading to endless possibilities and permutations. The end result always surprises me in some way. Patterns and unexpected combinations of colours are revealed through experimentation.

During my studies I was introduced to the inspirational work of Reiko Sudo of NUNO textiles and I’m influenced by the Japanese aesthetic and ethos, a respect for material and process. I also aspire to a pared-back Scandinavian feel in my more recent work. Travels to Japan and Iceland, and regular visits to the West Coast of Scotland have left lasting impressions that are reflected in my use of colour and pattern. The sublime colourwork by Mark Rothko, Paul Klee and Ptolemy Mann motivate me to explore different colour combinations in my work.

Texture and colour define my work: I want to give the woven textile depth and character, and I achieve this by pushing the limits of the materials, combining highly contrasting yarns, thick and thin, shiny and matt, and so on, in the weave structure itself. I work on intuition, embracing serendipity in my work. Random placement of colours and textured yarns allows patterns and colour effects to emerge almost accidentally. Once on the loom, the warp and I embark on a journey of exploration and discovery. Weaving has almost limitless possibilities; with more than 16 years’ experience, I have come to know certain aspects of the process intimately, experimenting extensively with a variety of materials, but there are still many avenues I want to explore.

During my studies, I won the European Wool Awards with a collection of textile samples combining merino wool with unusual materials such as reflective and synthetic monofilament yarns. Discovering that I could mix materials in this way was definitely a defining moment for me. It gave me the confidence to be unafraid to push the boundaries when mixing materials on the loom.

At the moment, I’m most proud of my most recent work, where I have returned to ideas originally conceived just after graduating, working with paper and repurposed materials to make art pieces, unconstrained by the requirements of functionality.

I would love to create a large multi-panelled wall piece combining the techniques and materials I have recently been using to weave paper. It would be amazing to see it hanging in a large atmospheric living area, a home or public space.