'Hummingbird' 2017
My work is about the subconscious connection between dyslexia, learning and doodling with much of my inspiration coming from the natural world and the patterns that occur in our environment. Dyslexia is a “specific learning difficulty”, which means it causes problems with certain abilities used for learning, such as reading and writing. Intelligence isn’t affected and It’s estimated that up to 1 in every 10 to 20 people in the UK has some degree of dyslexia. I was diagnosed at a very early age. Since I can remember, I have had to really concentrate when I read, write and listen. Among many things, I struggle to retain information, construct sentences and read out loud when under pressure. It takes me twice as long as everybody else to do normal cognitive tasks and I can hardly spell. I just have a different way of processing information and this has made me extremely creative.
Throughout my life, I have doodled my way through classes, lectures and meetings and at first, this was something that I felt bad about. I would sometimes try and refrain from doodling because I didn’t want to seem distracted or come across as disinterested but I began to realise that I was gaining something out of doodling. I was able to take in so much more information, almost subconsciously. I could see a difference in my memory and recall. I noticed other people doing the same which was encouraging.
For a long time, my doodles have become a coping mechanism and now they have developed into really detailed and stimulating works of art. When I finish a piece, similar to seeing shapes in the cloud, I see shapes, animals and objects within the drawings. The process of making the work is extremely fluid and free. There is no plan or structure which is part of the message. I am constantly painting and sketching new pieces and developing my style. Please contact me if you are interested in buying a print or painting and to see a larger collection of work.
