In the spring of 2010 I decided to take a journey across the States, this trip worked as the catalyst in my choosing to start a Masters at NUCA. The decision to take a break from work and do a solo journey was a response to needing TIME; the time to reflect on my life and time to create a body of work that was my own.

I travelled through America by train, and this mode of transport was chosen specifically as it allowed me to sit observing the changing landscapes and to record this in both sketches and photographs. It also worked to give me time alone with my thoughts but also to connect with people, the generosity and hospitality of strangers on a train is something that will stay with me for a long time

Sitting on the train watching a world glide by, framed by the panoramic windows in the viewer carriage was somewhat surreal and at times felt like I was watching a film, I would make up stories for the brief glimpses of real life that I caught as we passed through cities and towns. The banal, the beautiful, the picturesque and the boring all intrigued me.

But it was the Telephone Poles that crisscrossed the landscape that truly captured my attention and became something of a muse to me; they came to represent the conversational exchanges that I enjoyed throughout my journey. This symbolism extended past the trains and into the urban landscape. Each city it seemed had its very own particular style and formation of Pole.  In San Francisco, for example, the streets felt as if they were draped with relaxed, low slung wires, and to me this reflected perfectly the Bohemian atmosphere and people I had encountered.

As I passed through different states I started to focus on this particular piece of street furniture and the idea that “every pole tells a story” has now become the focus of my current work!

These are some preliminary “sketches”  I did whilst away.