I have always collected fallen feathers, and have been drawing feathers, birds, winged forms and flight obsessively …..

I have just realized how influenced I have been in my subconscious by Nike, the winged Greek Goddess of Victory. She has been gentle in the back of my mind all these years and has resurfaced with a vengeance!

Almost like emerging from a cocoon, my mind embraces the thought of wings, feathers, flight….

A wooden vulture sculpture by the talented Zimbabwean Zata Brothers presides over my workspace, informing my subconscious, watchfully influencing my mark making….

The concept grows, as I create mono prints which seem to take on their own persona, their own life, unfolding their wings, re-inventing themselves and arising from the ashes, emerging from the trials of life….

Immortalised in the marble sculpture found on the island of Samothrace, my intense focus now rests on this marble statue portraying Nike the goddess, called “Winged Victory” and portraying a woman in delicate yet powerful flowing robes, wings outstretched as if just landing, or just taking off…

Since learning about her in Art History classes at Art College, years and years ago, I have been conscious of her powerful presence, although I have never seen her in real life, as she stands in the Louvre…one day I will get to see her reality!

She epitomizes the concept of Flight and Freedom in my mind, (and Fight as well… she seems not shy of gaining Victory, a powerful force!)

To persevere, re-invent oneself, take flight against all odds, is my mantra.

I am working towards my personal theme, “Burnt Offerings”, in collaboration with friend and talented fellow Zimbabwean artist, Johnson Zuze. Wire artist and creator of fantastic beasts from found objects, Johnson’s re-cycled art is at once intricate and bold, at once aesthetically pleasing and socially cutting……

He himself has always been fascinated by the theme of the phoenix myth, wings, flight, birds and I am the proud owner of this delightful bird re-created by him for me after the original got damaged in my house fire…..read more on that here

Some of my saved ‘Burnt Offerings” are – you guessed it, (returning always to my theme of flight), wooden bird sculptures!

Charred, scarred and damaged but with strong spirit still, waiting to be re-invented…. here is one of my treasured burnt birds that I have passed on to Johnson, for him to raise from the ashes… a phoenix or a Nike winged goddess in the making….

Plus I am planning on submitting work for an exhibition called “Freedom” at The Gallery Delta later this year and Nike is so inspiring for me… the theme of Freedom is epitomized in her outspread wings.

Helen Lieros of Gallery Delta wished a commemoration of 200 years of freedom from Turkish rule in Greece, and Nike the winged goddess celebrates that spirit. She seems to echo Helen and Derek’s strong determination to succeed in nurturing the Arts and the Humanities as they do.

Many many sketches I have done ….

and am working into larger paintings…

freedom is flight in my mind- and I sketch, then work on the folds and drapes of an installation canvas, wings taking flight…

hours of stitchng and painting create layers of fire/spark marks and folds of freedom!

and the wings unfold, take the colours of fire

This draped canvas installation (collage?!) will take me weeks and weeks to complete-watch this space!

Another very large painting, called “Emergence”, which was painted before I began sketching the ”Winged Victory”, echoes her mood…

And a theme of natural world shapes, strelitzias and fire is translating into Winged Victory on this large canvas…

watch this space!