I have always been creative, ever since I was a child I loved to spend my free time drawing and making things from cardboard, I would much prefer these types of activities to other childrens games. My creative practice developed throughout school and university where I studied BA Fine Art in Edinburgh and then Product and Furniture design in London.   I think that the work I make now combines my fine art practice as well as my background in furniture and product design, and it just makes sense for me as a maker

What drew you to marquetry as your primary technique?

Marquetry brings together my love of drawing with my woodworking skills, it’s like painting with woodgrain. I love the textures and colours of the different species of wood as well as the muted tones of the dyed veneer. It’s incredible how you can create such depth in a piece of work by selecting the right veneer, and because it’s a natural material, every single thing I make is unique.

What’s your process like, from the initial idea to the final piece?

I start by making hand drawn sketches and then translating them into digital drawing which helps me to plan the colours and compositions. Then I work with the material itself to cut and put together the veneers, creating a unique piece. It then gets glued and pressed onto a wooden backing. Once it is glued I trim and sand back the work to reveal the beauty of the finished piece.

Do you have a favorite material or type of wood to work with?

I don’t have a favourite wood grain but I select each piece of veneer very carefully when creating an artwork or product and so each section becomes special to me.

Are there any small details in your pieces that you love but that people might not immediately notice?

Because everything is handmade you can sometimes notice the human touch in each piece, a circle might not be completely round, or there could be a little imperfection in the curve of a shape. I really love this about my work, it's how you can tell it wasn’t made by a machine and I think it adds to its overall charm.

I think you need to really buy something that you love, instead of choosing something because it is ‘on trend’. You can feel the quality of handmade homeware. They are unique, which is what is so beautiful about it, you know that you are the only person in the world with that object, which makes it truly special.

If you could create a dream interior space featuring your work, what would it look like?

I think it would be a whole room panelled with my marquetry, like a mural from wood. I like dark rich interiors at the moment so it would feature lots of nice dark woodgrains like walnut  burl veneer.

Are there any new projects or collections you’re particularly excited about?

I am hoping to release a new collection of art pieces with Maison Flâneur soon which I’m looking forward to sharing. I’m always excited to work on larger bespoke pieces so thats something I’m hoping to develop further this year.