Phytoplankton are not only a food source, they absorb CO2, which means they are a carbon sink. Climate scientists study plankton, they will indicate increased acidity in the ocean resulting from temperature rise. These are made from waste plastic bottles, part of the marine litter problem in our oceans.

Phytoplankton are not only a food source, they absorb CO2, which means they are a carbon sink. Climate scientists study plankton, they will indicate increased acidity in the ocean resulting from temperature rise. These are made from waste plastic bottles, part of the marine litter problem in our oceans. Suspended kinetic installation. Created for Salthouse 05.

‘LumenEssence’ was created for Salthouse 08: SEAhouse, LIGHThouse, SPIRIThouse exhibition at Salthouse Church. It suggests a lighthouse beacon, echoing Salthouse as a ‘beacon church’, it also refers to bioluminescence. This is mainly seen in deep-sea plankton, but can be seen in octopods (the sculpture could suggest an octopus). LumenEssence is a environmental light sculpture, which is suspended and uses low energy LEDs and fibre optics combined with using translucent waste plastics (bottles). This has been possible through funding from Arts Council England (Grants for the Arts) and Norfolk County Council (Arts Project Fund), 2008.

The Nest of Hope was made for the Waveney Valley Sculpture Trail, 2017.  I invited people who shared my concerns about climate change to participate in workshops in Norwich and King’s Lynn to craft words of hope about the world we wish to live in. Following an exercise called, “What is climate justice?”, inspired participants to find their words and phrases to express active hope. They learnt techniques to craft these from discarded power and communications cables. I composed poem messages from these words and posted on social media.  Participants were from local environmental groups – CHAIN (Climate Hope Action in Norfolk), Transition Norwich and KLimate Concern (King’s Lynn), who campaign on environmental issues and promote low impact lifestyles.  The World Eggs are made from clay collected from the Norfolk coast.  “World eggs” appear in many creation myths. These were made by ceramic artist, Georgina Warne.  Supported by Norfolk Art Project Fund and crowdfunders.

This sculpture is composed of three standing forms which suggest a sacred circle. Each form is made of a “honeycomb” of hexagonal cells, made from a plastic bottle. The largest and smallest forms are reconfigured from a previous sculpture, “Lightness of Being”. The blue-tinged form is made from small bottles rejected due to faults. This sculpture was a commission from Norfolk Waste Partnership and was exhibited at the One Planet Norwich Festival and various district council areas in 2018