"We seem to have lost touch with how interconnected everything is," she says. "We consider ourselves as separate or apart from nature whereas we are in fact a part of it - and unthinkingly can have a terribly negative impact. I like to think my work portrays the beauty but also sends a message of warning and sometimes hope."
The blue swallow is on the critically endangered list and her use of blue and white patterns (a reference to highly collectable Delft pottery) juxtaposes the value placed on these "treasures".
"Made in the 16th century, [Delft] is highly prized by collectors and copied by artists all over the world," she says, "Yet the blue swallow, designed, created and perfected thousands of years ago, is undervalued and ignored. The reason for its decline, the destruction of its grassland catchment habitat, is not being adequately addressed even as we experience the worst water shortages in decades."
Her work asks when our natural heritage will be valued equally with our cultural heritage.