Artist’s Statement
My work represents a deep sense of place, particularly connecting to my West Devon home, where I often walk across the wild moors or look down upon an inspiring coastline. Together with my reflective compositions of familiar interiors closer to home, I strive to cultivate an appreciation and sensitivity to my surroundings, attempting to create a sense of belonging. I endeavour to project a feeling of timelessness and simplicity, where these landscapes and interiors shed a light upon where I live.
I repect the way the Australian Western Desert artists convey a strong feeling of belonging through a deep understanding of their environment. I also admire the honesty in which British artist George Shaw painted his council estate home in Tile Hill, Coventry using enamel colours. I am drawn to Hammershoi's mysterious and haunting interior scenes depicting his house in Copenhagen. I am intrigued by the manner in which Tacita Dean is able to capture time on film and enchanted by Max Richter's approach in creating musical space. A Chinese proverb conveys that to paint well, hand, eye and heart are all required, whilst only two of these will not do. Thoughts such as these are poured into the melting pot and whilst they are not always apparently obvious influences, they definitely add to the spirit of my work.
By continually drawing and painting, I immerse myself in a scenario by becoming familiar with as many aspects of the subject as possible. For me, first-hand experience is essential, feeling the mood and atmosphere, whilst researching the subject from as many angles as possible. My wider interests in art, literature, music, film and radio help me to mull over and play with new ideas, often jotting down a captured thought or concept on a ‘Post-it’ note to inform and annotate my sketch book.
Through working with a variety of different media, I have been drawn to oil paint. I can appreciate the range of tones, subtle colours and the ability to be manipulated in so many different ways, where I can continue working with the same image for a long period. However, as with all artistic endeavours I fully expect my practice will experience many twists, turns and bumps in the road, and no doubt end up where I least expected.