You studied in Leeds, moved to Manchester and now you're based in Sheffield. How did you end up here?

I grew up in Cheshire, so I sort of naturally gravitated towards Manchester and ended up doing my Art Foundation at Stockport College. John, a great tutor there and a huge influence at that early stage, recommended the Fine Art course at Leeds - he was spot on! My three years there were crucial and set the early principles for my practice today.

I had an amazing time in Leeds, but it was always my plan to return to Manchester. Three friends and I quickly set up Depot Art Studios in Ardwick and got stuck into the Manchester art scene. Ten years on, Depot is still running today in the capable and talented hands of Alistair Woods and Kayt Hughes (both fantastic artists you should check out). After a few years practising in Manchester and a brief stint in Rotterdam, I finally settled in Sheffield; I love the pace of life here, as well as the people and the closeness to nature. 

As you can probably gauge, I love the North and am passionate about rejecting the London-centric model for the arts, there are so many brilliant creatives working up here, making things happen whether they are backed financially or not, that spirit and determination is undeniable and for me a massive part of why I'm still here.

Are there any places in Sheffield you'd recommend to visiting makers?

We are surrounded by an abundance of beauty here, get yourselves out into the Peaks. Or if you're in the city centre to one of Sheffields many parks, there's a reason it's called the outdoor city. There's great street art 'round every corner and plenty of galleries to sink your teeth into, from more established places like Millennium Gallery, Site Gallery and Bloc Projects to artist-led spaces like here at Gloam Gallery. Plenty of great coffee spots too, often adorned with beautiful hand-painted signs, Puck and Pollen, Mow's and Cloud, just to name a few.

It looks like you've found a great fit here at Gloam. What is it about this space that works so well for you? And who do you share the studio with?

I got really lucky with my studio here at Gloam. I have a huge double-height space with a glass roof, so there is lots of bright natural light, which I don't think I could live without now. There are 10 artists here in total, but I share my immediate space with Rose Hedy Squires, Victoria Emily Sharples and Jonny Davey, 3 great friends and wonderful artists. The gallery sits in a great location within Sheffield's Cultural Industries Quarter and puts on regular exhibitions in its gallery space as a voluntary artist-led organisation.