I Love the Water Too is part of a series of ceramic paintings focusing on the artist's love of the sea and working on Mean Catchment Surveys in South Africa in the late 1990’s, exploring one's authentic self and a love of nature in all its power, echoing Byrons ‘I love not Man the less, but Nature more’.

“The crayfish boat I worked on was dangerous, the sides of the fishing boat were low at around 60cm to allow the six foot cages being hauled up from the ocean floor over the side of the boat by heavy winches. It was Autumn going into Winter, off the Cape of Good Hope, some of the most dangerous seas in the world. The waves were high, often times enveloping the deck; you needed a sense of acceptance that the sea would take what it would, no matter, in order to survive. Often times I would sit on the side of the boat during stormy waters, and stare at the waves, relaxing into the storm. Like relaxing into a fall, a form of self preservation in the face of danger. There was a crew of eight Zulu men and a mixed race Captain in a new post apartheid South Africa. Initially my colleague and I were obstructed in our monitoring survey; the crew already had long hard days and were not being financially reimbursed for our survey which added at least four hours to their already long and hard day. Over time though we eased into a rhythm of getting to know each other and mutual friendship, in some very small part due to a growing respect for two young women working hard alongside the crew under dangerous conditions. It was humbling.

I grew up free range to some extent as a young child in South Africa, which enabled me to develop a sense of adventure, imagination and self-reliance. My brother and I would disappear in the morning when I was a 9 year old and walk for miles across the bush, or explore the waterways in our area via canoe… left to grow, roam and dream our own reality. It was profound.

When it was tea time, my mum used to blow a bugel to let us know it was time to come home, and if we didn’t hear it, we could feel the time and know it was time to return. During this time I encountered extremes of being; breathtaking storms, intense moments of observation when looking at ants or insects going about their lives, the flight of birds in their thousands, vast horizons, stunning sunsets, moments of heart stopping fear when predator prints were fresh, alongside peaceful bliss when I gazed up to the sky and felt the heat of the day from the ground. It was an amazing immersive experience to be allowed to 'find' myself as a child, without the scrutiny of adults”.

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