Hello, I'm Maggie H.

I’m a mixed media artist and fine art photographer living in Bedfordshire. I’ve been taking photos since my teens​,​ when I saved up for my first ‘proper’ camera. When photography went digital I embraced this new technology and discovered an interest in creating photographic art by manipulating some of the photos I took​,​ creating abstract images. I’m fascinated by texture and pattern and this inspires my abstract work​,​ where I turn an image into art through manipulation. This maybe bark on a tree​,​ a shadow​,​ a weave I notice on a piece of fabric. From a young child I watched my grandmother paint and create her own designs which she used in her embroidery projects​,​ so art in the form of painting and needlework was always part of my life. When I was lucky enough in later life to study Art and Design in Birmingham​,​ I discovered I could combine my love of photography​,​ painting and needlework in my own art work. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Judy Chicago​,​ Helen Chadwick​,​ Michael Raedecker​,​ as well as the textile artists Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn I developed my own style for combining my photographic images with mixed media techniques​,​ including fabric​,​ stitch​,​ found objects and paint. This work is also often abstract in nature and inspired by my photographers eye for colour​,​ texture and pattern. The art I create is inspired by nature​,​ texture and pattern which I see and photograph on my daily walks through the Bedfordshire countryside. My work explores a variety of themes​,​ including mortality​,​ climate change​,​ depression and mental illness to name a few. However I also love to create art which doesn't necessarily have any other theme except my love for the beauty of the natural world​,​ including flowers​,​ trees and landscapes. So there can sometimes be a tension between these sides of my creativity​,​ which can be challenging but also exciting.