During my training as a painter you could try another medium. A friend wanted to do stained glass and I went too, with no special interest in the material. Our tutor was Irish glass artist Maud Cotter, and she opened up a world of light and depth that was very exciting to me.

You can’t help but be inspired by such amazing craftspeople as Evie Hone and Harry Clarke. Their work made me believe anything is possible in stained glass. People think it is a restrictive medium, but there is huge freedom for creative expression.

Currently I am working with float glass – commercial clear glass – creating monochromatic images combining painting silver stain and sandblasting. I have to think it all right through, from creating the piece to the frame and any lighting that goes into it.

Recently I have been drawn to photography, my own landscape images combined with found images. I work directly on the glass, being very intuitive with my mark making. If I plan too much, the work becomes contrived and loses something in the translation.