The choice of materials to be part of the way of conveying a message is central to Mary’s work. The use of recycled plastics in the piece ‘Ghost Nets’ is key to the story of giant nets separated from trawlers which are loose in the sea scooping up plastics and endangering sealife. 

Using newspaper and other papers feature in her work, again as a way of telling the story. ‘Crosswords’ includes articles about conflict, war, division and violence.

Precious treasures discovered whilst clearing out her Mother’s house have been the inspiration for a whole series of work. Blue embroidery transfers from 1934 used to create the piece ‘Transfer of Affections’ as a memory of childhood and the sharing of the lazy daisy stitch,

‘To have and to hold’ is a series of work inspired by the discovery of a Simplicity dress pattern from 1962, the year of my parent’s marriage. Using the actual pattern tissue to make a hanging, a full size dress, and a series of ‘Weaker Vessels’.  The stitched words celebrate their happy partnership of almost 50 years.