I was born and educated in the north of England but, since my late teens, have lived in Asia, Australia, North America and in several different regions of England. I am currently living in Devon.
In every place, I have been captivated by the very different interplays of light and colour and intrigued by the unique forms of cultural artefacts. These are the experiences on which I draw in my painting. Initially my inspiration may be triggered by a chance event – a thought, a memory, a glimpse through a window, a line of poetry. I then explore how I may express these things in paint on canvas and capture that which lies beneath and beyond. As I have always had an interest in 20th Century abstract art in its many different forms, it came naturally to look to abstract painting to guide me to find my own personal language and style.
I very often use thin veils of colour on unprimed canvas and love the simplicity and luminosity which can be achieved by this approach. However on other occasions I use collage and various mediums. From the moment that an idea strikes and paint is put on canvas, a problem is set up which must be resolved if a painting is to succeed. It is therefore important not to have too many preconceptions about paint and texture at the beginning, but to let them emerge along the way.
