I am an artist who often works in the world of design. When designing rugs for my solo 'Gardens' exhibition at the Fortuny Museum (2010-11) I discovered what an extraordinary medium it can be for a painter- a large canvas which can have a three dimensional, sculptural quality.

For several years I'd been interested in creating contemporary Irish art taking as a point of departure a historic Irish art and design source.This was triggered by visiting the 6th century illuminated manuscript 'Book of Kells' in Trinity college Dublin several years ago.It left a strong impression on me and I began to think about a series of designs for rugs using some of the lettering.The illustrations in the Book of Kells are timeless; both their intense colours and the fantastical creatures weaving around the lettering are startlingly modern. I recomposed the ornate celtic lettering into words, some of which resonate particularly in today's world, others that are eternal.

Finishing ‘Be’ rug at rugmakers’