PERSONAL STATEMENT

I am proud to have been born and raised on our family croft on the tiny island of Fair Isle, in Shetland. After high school I left Shetland to study at Gray's School of Art, in Aberdeen, but changed courses and eventually graduated with a BSc Hons in Interior Architecture and MArch in Architectural Studies. I have since dabbled in various roles, including Architectural Assistant and Graphic Designer, but made the unconventional decision a few years ago to "retire" from paid work in order to pursue my own interests and explore new ways of making a living. In 2018 I embarked on a self-driven project that allowed me to explore new skills in furniture and basketry, using traditional methods to produce items in wood and straw. During this time, I have worked with very talented furniture makers in Orkney, Shetland and Fair Isle. Working in these workshops and with full-time furniture makers, I experienced a broad range of techniques and tools - from traditional hand tools to computer controlled CNC routers. Since completing the Fair Isle Chairs Project I have continued to expand my craft skills and produce furniture and basketry for sale. I am currently focusing on raising awareness of the precarious nature of our heritage straw crafts and facilitating the passing on of these endangered skills. To aid with this, I have developed a basket making kit, which forms an easy entry level introduction to the knotting technique used in Fair Isle Chairs.

SELF DIRECTED PROJECTS

2022 - 2023 Awareness Raising and Teaching/Facilitating training in Straw Working

2020 - 2021 Film Fair Isle Strawback Chair Makkin part funded by Heritage Crafts Endangered Craft Fund

2018-2020 THE FAIR ISLE CHAIRS PROJECT part funded by Shetland Amenity Trust Endowment Grant

• Intern @ Cecil Tait, Paparwark Furniture, Shetland

• Intern @ Kevin Gauld, The Orkney Furniture Maker, Orkney

• Tutoring in knotting technique @ Stewart Thomson, Fair Isle

COMMISSIONS
2021 CONTENT CONTRIBUTOR, MAKE | Learn Pilot Project, Craft Scotland

WORK AND EDUCATION

2020 - PRESENT | ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER RIBA PART2 - CASE Shetland - Lerwick

2016 - 2020 | SELF-EMPLOYED / "RETIRED" - Various, including Fair Isle Chairs Project

2015 - 2016 | TRAVEL - New Zealand

2013 - 2015 | SERVICE MANAGER - Hillside Motors (Citroen) - Brae - Shetland

2010 - 2013 | GRAPHIC DESIGNER/WRITER - Millgaet Media - Lerwick

2008 - 2010 | ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT - Richard Gibson Architects - Lerwick

2006 - 2007 | MArch ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES - Scott Sutherland School - RGU

2004 - 2005 | ARCHITECTURAL PLACEMENT - Simpson and Brown Architects, Edinburgh

2001 - 2006 | BSc (Hons) INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE - Scott Sutherland School - RGU

1999 - 2000 | VISUAL COMMUNICATION - Grays School of Art - RGU

1998 - 1999 | FOUNDATION YEAR - Grays School of Art - RGU