Statement

My artwork reflects my inner life, its emotions, desires, concerns. Often it is only in the process of painting that I become aware of what is going on within myself. The painting allowing the non-verbal and subconscious aspects of myself to be expressed. Themes that often appear are a desire to connect with the natural world while at the same time awareness of a deep estrangement from it that is both personal and societal. Other themes involve history; personal, family and cultural and how that impacts us in the here and now. Often things have been hidden and have been lost to memory but can still be influencing us without us being alive to that.

I start with playful marks using charcoal, coloured pencils, ink, collage and build up layers in a fairly intuitive way. While there may be an initial idea or inspiration I tend to let go of this and allow the painting to develop as I respond to what has been laid down. I find I’m happier with the pieces that have evolved rather than when I aim for a particular end result. Colours are chosen, layers built and emotions , ideas or fleeting memories are sparked informing the next stage of the painting until finally the painting feels finished. While this is a personal response, these feelings and themes are common to many people allowing the possibility of bridging the space between artist and viewer.