I have been creating work inspired by the sea since I moved to the coast, and remembered the joy of its power and its ability to soothe me. As an environmental activist and volunteer for Friends of the Earth I campaign and take action to raise awareness, and, hopefully, help protect our planet and ecosystem.

I was able to visit the specimen store at TWMA and at Berwick Museum for my research, and was drawn to the herbaria at Berwick. The Film, "My Octopus Teacher", inspired me to research seaweed and, in particular the kelp that can grow into giant underwater forests. I like to swim in the sea and have enjoyed observing sea life while snorkelling in a Marine Nature Reserve.

The work of Anna Atkins, (1799- 1872), the first person to publish a printed book using cyanotype images of Seaweed (Algae), combined with my love of blue, particularly Prussian blue, suggested to me the possibilty of using seaweed Cyanotype in this project.

I collected specimens of seaweed along our North East Coastline and began making prints from them at home. Using my shower room as a dark room and my back yard to expose the work to the sun, I gently pressed the seaweed beneath glass and waited for the non-toxic chemicals to accept the UV light. I washed out the prints in the bathtub to 'fix' them before stacking to dry between teatowels and boards. I chose this particular print because it reminds me of floating in a calm, dark blue realm of 'endless forms'.

A new bestiary and herbarium for at risk species by artists from Northern Print.

“Endless Forms Most Beautiful” is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to support visits, new printmaking and school’s programme for this project.

Northern Print artists bring together traditional printmaking and the natural world with a series of new prints highlighting the diversity of species that are categorised as ‘at risk’.

The ‘endless forms’ include marine life; plants; birds; insects and mammals with many familiar and much-loved species as well as less known and intriguing creatures that have captured the imagination and hearts of Northern Print’s artists.

This exhibition of 45 new prints has been made following a series of visits to our region’s natural history collections and habitats and represents the tiniest tip of the iceberg of our natural world under threat.

The artwork includes a range of approaches and printmaking processes – including heritage craft skills also deemed at risk including letterpress and mould-made papers