Tamar Paperbarks

This series centres on the Tamar Estuary, beginning with my close study of the paperbark copses along the kanamaluka / Tamar River. These stands of Melaleuca ericifolia form vital ecological refuges—sheltering wildlife, filtering pollutants, and protecting the shoreline from erosion. Their quiet resilience and layered histories became the foundation for this body of work.

I chose khadi (cotton paper) for its strength and durability, allowing me to repeatedly wash back pigment and submerge the sheets in water without compromising their structure. Watercolour was combined with clay and diluted gesso to build surfaces where layering, erasure, and sedimented traces could coexist. Instead of glue, I used string to bind elements together, introducing tension, weight, and a natural drape.

Through wrapping, binding, and folding, small sculptural forms emerged—objects that hold a tactile connection to place and echo the estuary’s shifting conditions. Each work becomes a quiet response to the material intelligence of the landscape.