Reflecting on "FORECAST" at the Bannatyne Hotel, Hastings

From 21 March to 5 May, 2024, I had the pleasure of exhibiting alongside Fran White, Edith Pargh Barton, and Charlie Noel in FORECAST, an exhibition held at the beautiful gallery within the Bannatyne Hotel, Hastings. Our show was born from an open call for artists, and together, we brought our own perspectives on the powerful and universal themes of weather, wind, and water.

Climate is one of the most pressing forces shaping our lives, influencing everything from the food we eat to where we choose to spend our holidays. It impacts not only our health and livelihoods but also our collective future. These connections were central to FORECAST, where each of us explored the different ways that weather, wind, and water intersect with our lives and emotions.

For me, FORECAST offered an opportunity to delve deeply into how these elements affect both the physical and emotional landscapes we navigate every day. Weather can be fierce and unpredictable, a force of change that shapes the earth itself and, in turn, us. In my work, I wanted to explore this power—how it can be both destructive and healing, a reminder of our vulnerability and resilience.

Each artist in the show brought their own unique interpretation of these themes. Fran White’s work captures the fleeting nature of weather, freezing those ephemeral moments when it can shift in an instant. Edith Pargh Barton dives into water's adaptability and strength, portraying it as both life-giving and, at times, life-altering. Charlie Noel’s pieces bring us close to the wind’s invisible but palpable presence, a force that moves, unsettles, and connects everything in its path.

One of the most rewarding parts of FORECAST was the community engagement. On 21 April, as part of Pure Wellness Day, the curation team led workshops for visitors, inviting them to immerse themselves in the exhibition’s themes. It was a chance to extend the conversation, to listen to others’ perspectives, and to share insights about how weather, wind, and water shape our daily lives and inner worlds.

Looking back, I feel that FORECAST succeeded in drawing together art and environment in a way that highlighted our collective relationship with nature. The show was more than a collection of artworks; it was a shared reflection on how climate affects us all, no matter where we are. For those who joined us at Bannatyne, I hope FORECAST stirred both contemplation and connection—a reminder of how intricately our lives are woven into the natural world.

Art Beyond Form: My Solo Show at Bannatyne - A Celebration of the Human Spirit

I’m thrilled to reflect on my solo show at Bannatyne, which ran from 26 June to 9 September. It was an incredible opportunity to share my work as a Portsmouth-based artist, creating abstract sculptures, mixed media paintings, and prints. Assemblage is at the heart of my practice, a way for me to explore themes of the human spirit without relying on literal representation. Instead, I aim to capture aspects of the soul, the intangible qualities that exist independently of the body.

I’ve always felt a deep connection to colour, which I hope shines through in every piece. It’s more than just aesthetic; colour for me is an emotional language, a way of inviting viewers into an experience that transcends shape and form. The materials I use—cast concrete, paper pulp, silicon, plaster, and metal—each have their own histories, stories embedded in them, and I work to combine these found elements in a way that breathes new life into them.

There’s often a sense of play in my sculptures, a lightheartedness that balances with the delicate and sometimes fragile nature of the work itself. I aim to convey that tightrope we all walk, between sense and nonsense, between desire and fear. Many of my pieces are intentionally balanced on the edge of fragility, and I like that they carry a vulnerability, echoing the precariousness of our own emotional lives.

One of the highlights of the show was a talk and networking event, where I had the chance to connect with others and dive deeper into the ideas and processes behind my work. The response was more than I could have hoped for, and it’s already opened doors for new opportunities in 2025 to show and create more work.

Looking back, this exhibition was about more than just sharing my art. It was an invitation to explore beyond the boundaries of the physical, to connect with those hidden parts of ourselves. I hope that anyone who saw the show left with a piece of that experience—a reminder of art’s power to resonate with us in unexpected ways.