I don't have a favourite colour but I do go through phases of liking some combinations of colours more than others. I surround myself with colour all day but I sleep in a completely dark grey room lined with dark grey felt curtains and it is the most relaxing sleep inducing space. I don't have any scientific theories about colour. I speak my own language of colour which I believe has grown over the years.

I was introduced to the complexity of colour from a very early age, my mother was a textile artist and our house was full of yarns and beautiful coloured fabrics. My mother would collect onions skins and elderberries and we would dye wool with her and even at that very early age I understood the subtle differences between a natural dye colour and a chemical dye. I started sewing and embroidery from 5 years old and belonged to the Young Embroiderers Society.

The piece below was my submission to the Embroiderers Society big exhibition at the Commonwealth Institute (now the Design Museum) when I was 12 years old. I was one of three Young Embroiderers who had their work displayed. I even put mine up for sale! So I have been making choices about colour for many years. As a child and teenager I spent the majority fo my spare time and all my pocket money on buying materials for sewing, knitting, bead work and making clothes.

 
Stripes — exhibited at the Embroiderers Society Show I was 12 years old 

I love colour and it is more difficult to use than people often think. I really hate when people say that colour is exclusive to children, what sad people they must be. Adults need colour in their lives as much or maybe more than children. Colour is so abundant in nature and we need it more in our built environment.

Light plays a really huge part and different types of light can change colours so much that a colour might work in one environment but not work at all in another. I have read up about this and there are lots of explanations of what colour works in what light, but for me I just prefer to try things out physically.

Fluorescent/neon colours are a large part of my work. It plays with your optics and I find it is almost magical with how it transforms other colours and how the light and the dark react to it is incredible.