Projects, Commissions and Exhibitions

I now have a small exhibition space in the back room of The Art of Tea in Didsbury, where a changing selection of my original paintings is on display.

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The Art of Tea is an independent café, bar and second-hand bookshop that has a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and a history of supporting local Manchester artists. I really like the idea of people coming across my work while meeting a friend, having a drink, browsing the books or taking a little time for themselves.

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I will be changing the selection from time to time, and many of the paintings are available to buy. Please get in touch if a particular piece catches your eye.

Alongside exhibitions and commissions, I have now started to take my artwork to local markets and community events!

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These stalls give me an opportunity to share original paintings, prints, cards, journals and creative projects directly with people. I enjoy hearing the stories, memories and interpretations that emerge when someone connects with a piece of work.

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Markets also provide a valuable space for testing new ideas, meeting other makers and becoming part of the wider creative community.  Here you can see me behind my shared stall with good friend and fellow artist Katie Holmes https://www.lovekatiex.co.uk/ 

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If you cannot make our markets in person and want to support my art practice and buy some pieces of your own, visit the shop on this website or see my Etsy store.

In June 2026, I was delighted to be chosen as the winner of a logo competition for a neighbourhood group.  It was voted on by residents of the estate.

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This felt especially lovely because it is the estate I live on, making the project feel personal as well as creative. The design reflects my interest in colour, symbolism, place and community connection.

Alongside my usual facilation work as part of the wellbeing hub there, I was invited to exhibit a selection of my paintings at Altrincham United Reformed Church Hub, a welcoming community space that hosts a wide range of activities, groups and events.

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The exhibition was part of a wide Eco Festival andincluded a mixture of original paintings exploring colour, pattern, nature, symbolism and intuitive mark-making. It was lovely to share the work in a setting where people could spend time with the pieces, chat about what they noticed and make their own connections.

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For me, exhibiting in community spaces feels like a natural extension of both my creative and facilitation work, creating opportunities for conversation, reflection and connection through art.

Windows Through the Seasons is a participatory public artwork I created for a commission by Chorlton Community Garden, and I was supported by  Stories of Our Lives and other local partners.
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I began the project with a community creative session where local people shared words, drawings, memories and sensory impressions connected to the seasons. These contributions shaped the four seasonal collage panels I then created on canvas and reproduced onto weatherproof clear acrylic.
The panels are displayed in Chorlton Community Garden next to Chorlton Library, with a new panel revealed as each season turns.
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You can read more about the community aspects and planning of this  project here
and the results of it here

I have been commissioned to create illustrations for books, bringing colour, image and feeling into written work.

My paintings were included throughout Pain & Aging, a hardback book published by Lifetimes Press, which brings together reflections by Brad Brown with illustrations, photographs and contributions from More To Life students.
You can find out more about Lifetimes Press books here.

I have also illustrated Why Do People Have to Die?, a children’s book by Merryn Myatt. This gentle book explores one of life’s biggest questions with honesty and care, supporting children and adults to talk about death, love and loss.
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The book is available to read online and can also be ordered as a print-on-demand.

I have created many bespoke mandalas for people’s homes and gardens, responding to colour, space, feeling and personal meaning.
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I have also created community mandalas, including a pocket park project on Oswald Road, made using a bicycle wheel and recycled materials.
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These pieces often combine pattern, colour, circular forms and symbolic details. Some are bright and joyful, some are calming and reflective, and some are created to hold a particular intention or story.

Alongside commissioned artwork, I also take part in exhibitions, creative projects and public events.
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My first solo exhibition, Interwoven, was shown at OT Creative Space in February 2025. It brought together a collection of my paintings and marked an important moment in my creative practice, after I began painting regularly in late summer 2024. The exhibition reflected my interest in experimentation, colour, pattern and the joy of beginning something new later in life.

You can read more about Interwoven here.

I have exhibited my paintings as part of Chorlton Arts Festival for two years, at the beautiful Manchester Centre for Buddhist Meditation in Chorlton. My work explores colour, line, pattern, movement and intuitive mark-making, often connecting with themes of wellbeing, memory, story and place.
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You can see my Chorlton Arts Festival artist page here.

I have also been involved in TimeThreads, a creative project exploring memory, ancestry, imagination and connection across time.

You can find out more about TimeThreads, an amazing project conceptulised and led by Danielle Lowy, here.

In partnership with Katie Holmes, I co-led a festive community workshop helping local residents create window displays for a neighbourhood Advent trail.

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The session included simple creative activity stations using paper silhouettes, hanging decorations, stained-glass tissue designs, snowflakes and Advent numbers, encouraging people of all ages to explore ideas at their own pace and take decorations home to display as part of a community building trail.

Motherline was a year-long collaborative creative project exploring women’s stories, ancestry, identity and connection through art, stories, music and more.

I co-led the project alongside Alice Robinson, helping to hold a reflective and creative space for women to explore their own motherlines.

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For me, Motherline sat at the meeting point between being an artist and a creative facilitator. It involved producing my own artwork and writing, while also creating the conditions for other women’s stories, images, memories and insights to emerge.

The project culminated in a celebration at The Arches at HOME Manchester and you can explore the different aspects of the project here:
https://linktr.ee/motherline25