Printing runs deep in my family history. For generations my father, both grandfathers, my grandmother and even my brother all worked within the trade. Ink, paper and pressrooms were never far from daily life, and the craft of printing has always felt woven into my DNA.

My father worked as a lithographer, while my grandfather on my father’s side spent many years at Nelsons, once one of Edinburgh’s largest printing houses. On my mother’s side, my grandfather was foreman of the print department at the Edinburgh Evening News, and my grandmother worked at Nelsons as a bookbinder and marbler. Surrounded by generations of skilled craftspeople working with ink, paper and pattern, it perhaps isn’t surprising that making and drawing became such a natural part of my life.

From an early age I was captivated by colour. As a child I would spend hours drawing and experimenting with colour combinations, fascinated by the subtle shifts between tones and shades. That sense of curiosity and play with colour has stayed with me ever since and continues to shape the way I approach my work today.

I later received a scholarship to study at Leith School of Art before continuing my training in Printed Textiles at Edinburgh College of Art. There I developed a deep understanding of drawing, design and the traditional craft of hand screen printing, graduating with First Class Honours before continuing on to complete a Master of Fine Art in Design and Applied Arts.

For my MFA final exhibition I designed and hand printed an interiors collection of wallpapers and fabrics inspired by flora and fauna. The project led to the Deutsche Bank Creative Enterprise Award, which enabled me to establish my first dedicated screen-printing studio.

From this studio I worked on a range of bespoke interior and heritage projects, including recreating historic wallpaper designs at Kelburn Castle and producing hand-printed work for projects at Abbotsford House, the home of Sir Walter Scott. I also created bespoke interior designs including wallpapers for projects such as the headquarters of Innis & Gunn in Edinburgh, alongside a range of private commissions.

Alongside my studio practice, my work expanded into large-scale mural painting, creating site-specific artworks for both private and commercial spaces across the UK. I have always been drawn to the collaborative nature of working on site — where designers, makers and craftspeople come together to transform a space through colour, pattern and imagination.

After several intense years working on large projects, I stepped away from my practice for a period due to ill health. Though challenging, this time ultimately allowed me to return to making with a renewed sense of direction and clarity.

Today I work from a large shared studio in Edinburgh with my partner, artist and antique dealer Innes Maran. Together we have created a working studio that brings together painting, printmaking and creative experimentation under one roof.

My work now draws on many threads from this journey — printmaking, painting and mural work — and is rooted in a fascination with the natural world. Birds in particular appear frequently in my work, alongside animals, plants and shifting patterns drawn from nature.

Through drawing, print and paint I create work that celebrates the rich flora, fauna and creatures of the natural world, woven together through colour, pattern and imagination.