My work revolves around the largest creatures in the world—whales. Despite their size, whales remain mysterious. It has often been said that we know less about our oceans than we know about outer space. Living close to the ocean is one of the largest influences in my art practice. I am often looking for, or thinking about, whales. Sometimes I will think I saw a whale, but then question what it was I actually saw. Maybe it was just a large wave, a drifting log or a submerged rock. It is in this place of unknowing that motivates my art practice.

I am an artist, not a scientist. But the scientific study of whales, dolphins and porpoises propels my work (this study is called cetology). By hand-processing information that can often seem ‘sterile’ and ‘removed’, I seek to create a more ‘human’ record. I collect scientific information about whales from books, online, and by listening to whale researches and explore ways of translating this information into a visual language using ink, paint, wire, paper embossing, ocean water, weather and whatever medium/process best suites each specific idea. Art has become a valuable tool to help me access data and to translate it in a way that has a more personal meaning. In exchange, I have found that cetology has provided an inexhaustible resource for generating artistic ideas and series.