I have been surrounded by nature all my life. My childhood home, within the grounds of a Medieval castle, gave me the chance to run free in beautiful ancient woodland, paddle in the river and gamble across farmland. Studying Environmental Chemistry and Sustainable Agriculture I discovered how to work with the land without depleting it. Volunteering on conservation projects in Brazil and Bolivia helped me develop my survey skills and opened my eyes to incredible habitats and animals. Climbing to the tops of Scottish peaks, swimming in our seas and rivers and cycling around the islands all gave me the chance to view our country from a new perspective. And best of all, pursuing the most rewarding career possible as Countryside Ranger has led me to inspire others.
The result is a never ending joy of all things natural.
Alongside my enthusiasm for the great outdoors is a passion for arts and crafts. At school I was supposed to choose between science and art. But I continued to study both into sixth year studies and I’m pleased I haven’t had to decide between them since. Art has been with me since birth. My mother is an acclaimed landscape and still life painter and one of my earliest memories is a Marc Chagall book with his crazy perspectives. I have focused my creative energies into sewing, needle-felting, screenprinting and lino printing. This has allowed me to express myself using different media and producing different outcomes.
I have naturally progressed to focus upon a strong environmental ethos in the work that I do, using remnant and discarded fabrics, creating plastic free play items and focusing upon the beauty of the natural world.
My Thistledownseed learning activities and products are a gentle reminder that nature can be part of our everyday life, just as we are part of nature.
Please visit my facebook page to discover what I’ve been up to recently:
https://www.facebook.com/Thistledownseed/
thistledownseed.wordpress.com 