Tell us a bit about yourself
I love exploring outdoors, mostly on my bike or by foot, and adventures like camping and climbing. I’ve been volunteering with Sussex Wildlife Trust Youth Rangers, as well as at Lotus Lamb and Animal Sanctuary in West Sussex, for the last year and would like to work as a ranger in future. I also make and sell art at markets, or by commission, alongside.
I wish I’d discovered Youth Rangers earlier. I joined just over a year ago, aged 24. But I’m so glad I found it when I did. At that time, I had little hope for a future in the field as I couldn’t manage university or work, due to long term mental health conditions.
Youth Rangers changed that. It’s given me experience and showed me it’s possible to get a life I want to live, doing outdoor work, even without traditional qualifications. Most of all, though, I value the hours of true escape it gave me during a difficult time.
It feels like a safe space, and the community we’ve built is incredible. My favourite activity is winter shrub clearance at Lancing Ring. And one of my favourite memories was our nature-themed Halloween quiz round a campfire.
What’s your favourite wild space in Sussex?
Waterhall Nature Reserve, especially the moss-covered woodland area. It’s close to Brighton but feels solitary and peaceful, a perfect place to escape. My favourite time was during a thick fog in early April, where I couldn’t see beyond a few metres, waiting for the next signpost on the walk to emerge. I also saw my first Adder!
Tell us about your artwork
My art developed alongside my interest in fantasy that I’ve had since I was a child and is inspired by a lot of what I read then, most notably Chris Riddell’s illustrations in The Edge Chronicles series. It is now overwhelmingly inspired by places in nature I have explored, but the fantasy elements always find their way in. I never properly studied art, as I had to drop out of both GCSE and A levels due to mental health conditions, but I am often glad for that as it kept it separate from any stress, just a thing I do for myself above all else.
The Stone Knight (above) is one that I drew immediately after visiting the Trust’s Woods Mill Nature Reserve for the first time, inspired by the stone knights in the woods.
I like using a high level of detail because the concentration required takes my mind off other things and allows me to escape into the world I am drawing more.
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