My paintings explore the landscape surrounding my home in rural South Shropshire and Mid Wales, an area I know well. I am inspired by atmosphere, weather and colour, and intuitively use different materials to explore the pictorial space, revisiting the initial landscape through the painting process.
Integral to my painting is sketching outdoors. Working in all weathers allows for rapid and responsive mark-making, where emotional suggestion plays a key role. I sketch quickly, producing marks with a sense of urgency to capture a fleeting moment in time. Often, I will produce as many as 20 small charcoal, pastel and watercolour sketches revisiting a place many times. These sketches become integral to my immersive experience of a Place.
In the studio, I often refer directly to the outdoor sketches but my paintings primarily evolve from memories, suggestions and thoughts. They relate to observations made during my walks and sketching sessions through colour, line and rhythm of paint. There are often as many as 10 layers of paint applied to build depth of colour and texture. My approach is spontaneous and intuitive, often working on several paintings simultaneously throughout the process.
I have exhibited widely and have work in various collections throughout the UK. Previous to my painting career, I spent many years working in advertising and design agencies.