The landscape of the British Isles has been my inspiration throughout my painting life. Its geology and history fuels my curiosity, and provides a wealth of inspiration for paintings.
Our inclement weather adds visual intrigue to the landscape, and the human historical use of the land itself, both above and below ground, reveals and then covers up what was once visible. I like the sense of mystery behind these two concepts. This sense of the 'seen' and then 'unseen' is something that intrigues me, and links well with my painting process.
For my paintings I use oil paints mixed with cold wax medium which makes the perfect mixture for building up many layers of paint quickly. Scraping back into the layers with a variety of tools and solvents, reveals areas of the history that lies beneath. The resulting textures, marks and shapes are always exciting, and some of this underlying history will still be visible in the finished painting.
This process of construction and deconstruction continues, sometimes over weeks, until a composition resonates with my intentions for the piece. It’s then that I continue working towards a finished painting with which I am happy.
My work lies somewhere between abstraction and representation, and I hope that the viewer will connect with my paintings in their own personal way.
