Hey Lise!
Thanks so much for joining me for a lovely cuppa and a chat!
Okay, so let’s start off with a big question – What’s your brew of choice?
Ooh… I have to admit I am not consistent with my brews, but I love a chai with almond milk, always. In the summer I love picking fresh mint and lemon balm from our garden, which wakes me up nicely!
Biscuit dunking: Yay or Nay?
Ohh, absolutely yay! Especially if it’s chocolate and goes all melty in a coffee!
Tell us about what you do
I am a maker, a creative, and have worked for over 20 years as a Fine Artist, Textile Artist, and creative practitioner with all kinds of groups and individuals. I see the medium as the vessel though, because what is most important to me is the way that art works as a change maker, a healer, and how it connects us all. I am currently working with wire, and live in Ambergate, where a huge and once thriving wireworks business was located. I love making seed heads and wild flower wreaths out of black iron wire.
What inspires you?
The natural world delights me. Flora and Fauna. Landscapes. I love walking in wild spaces, and swimming in the rivers and seas. I love moss, lichens, fungi, and you can often find me taking macro shots of dew covered moss!
The traces of history in places fascinates me, and I often work site specifically, like how I am inspired by the wireworks and wire ‘drawing’ process, that was based in our village.
What’s the best thing about your job?
I love it when someone I teach or inspire, finds confidence and gets into the flow of making. Hearing laughter, seeing smiles, sharing joy, is just the best thing!
There is also nothing more lovely than hearing that something you have created means so much to someone.
What’s been your proudest moment so far?
A proudest moment in my work, would have to be seeing the group of kids I worked with, who were all struggling with emotional and behavioural issues, be so proud of their exhibition at the end of our sessions.
How would you spend your perfect day off? (money no object!)
I would take a cheeky fast flight to Iceland with my daughter, and best mates, and soak up the gorgeousity of the landscape from a hot spring pool! If we could fly over the amazing icy rivers and see the gorgeous colours, that would top things off perfectly!
If you had to be on a TV gameshow, which would it be and why?
The Chase, because Bradley Walsh would have me in stitches!
Who would your 5 dinner party guests be?
Tricky… Maya Angelou, Yung Pueblo, Rik Mayall, Jackie Morris and Ewan MacGregor (long term crush)
If you had a time machine, where would you go to first: the past or the future? Why?
The past, so I could give my missed loved ones an almighty hug.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up – is it what you’re doing now?
I used to draw dresses, and fancied being a fashion designer. But I also loved the idea of being a wildlife photographer. Its not far off is it?!
And, finally, if you could have a cuppa and a chat with anyone in the world, past or present, who would it be?
It would be my Grandad Doug who passed away in 1999. He was a business owner, an artist, a swimmer, and into spiritual healing. So a huge inspiration to me. We would dunk biscuits in the tea too. Tetley probably. Or Yorkshire Tea.
