Paula Payne

I graduated in Fine Art in the previous Millenium, so you could say I have been around for a while. 

Art has always been a huge part of my life. I have always taken immense pleasure in exploring the infinite possibilities visual arts provide, both as a creator and an observer. 

Engagement with my own practice has ebbed and flowed through the years, but as a teacher, my immersion in it has remained deep and constant. 

My new marquetry work represents the culmination of my journey as a maker to this point. Combining the ancient skills of marquetry, using highly unusual and visually stunning end grain veneers with contemporary processes. I am producing designs inspired by Japanese and Islamic aesthetics and the philosophical outlook of wabi-sabi to embrace the impermanence and imperfection of nature. I aspire to elevating the natural materials I use so that their beauty is enhanced and reflects the subject matter in a decorative and decadent way that, I hope, resonates with the viewer and illustrates the complex, fragile, strength of the natural world