'My work is
based on observation from experience and memory – essentially figurative, but
recently exploring planes of colour and light. There is no such thing as a
simple landscape – the more you look, the more you see and there is movement
everywhere.
At the heart of
my work is drawing which I believe is vital; there is always something to learn
from drawing – I find that I can’t feel the subject until I’ve drawn it. I
believe that it’s the root of the expressive nature of my work.
Sketch-books
form a vital part of my working practice; I have many sketchbooks in all shapes
and sizes and may have several on the go at one time – using the one that comes
to hand first.
Other pieces
are created entirely from memory, especially night scenes; I enjoy the challenge
of starting a painting or drawing using my mind's eye and also to take direction
from the medium itself that I'm using.
Often I have
two or more paintings on the go at the same time. This is useful in practical
terms as one can be worked on whilst the other dries, but also gives scope for
comparison – one painting can influence the other’.
