My work is a response to the beauty and fragility of our native wildlife, and in particular the ecology and interconnectedness between wildlife and habitats. I forage or grow from seed the plants I use in the botanical printmaking process, working with the rhythms of nature to capture specimens as the season allow. During the winter ideas are developed, connections made and paintings on pure linen slowly come to life. Using thin watery washes of acrylic so as to maintain the surface texture of the fabric, colour is built up in thin layers. Inspired by the economy of Japanese design compositions are considered and pared back as the delicate rice paper prints are painstakingly cut out and collaged with rice glue into each piece. The process in reality is rarely so linear, I work across multiple pieces, often progress is thwarted by nature itself, it is slow and seasonal. A desire to make more meaningful connections between subject and environment is a driving factor, often weaving in hidden double narratives with tiny etchings of smaller creatures. The titles give a key into the narratives, and my research and growing understanding of the delicate balance of ecology and animal behaviour are as important to me as the final result.