Developed through a combination of photography, drawing, cut outs, collage and painting, Olivia’s work explores the different shapes and forms in nature and how these can be manipulated to create an impression of a specific place or moment. It is the meticulous process of removing sections of paper by hand with a scalpel that initially drew Olivia to paper cutting. The practice is incredibly meditative requiring almost endless patience - with some works taking over three hundred hours to complete.

Each work is based on a photograph Olivia takes and the drawings she then makes from these photographs. The process begins with Olivia making drawings from her photographs for the paintings. Once she is happy with the final composition, she begins by dissecting the drawing and working out the layers for the piece.  The process requires an element of trust and uncertainty as until all the layers are finally put together there is no guarantee the composition will work. Olivia cuts out each layer of the painting by hand with a scalpel. Each layer is then painted using acrylic paint and hung to dry across the studio. The layers are then mounted and laid on top of each to create the final image. Once framed light interacts with the works to create another dimension to the works as the spacing between each layer allows shadows to form and bring the paintings to life.