My work has been influenced by childhood holidays spent on the Essex marshes and in ‘Constable Country’ famed for its ‘big skies’, wide open countryside with gentle contours and little to distract from nature. Using the sky as a backdrop I like to create a visual drama. My work is delineative in its representation but by using a strong palette of colour it expresses light and tone.
To draw and paint is not simply about line and representation, it is a personal exploration of the subject and the materials used to create the work. Drawing is the truth of art. Drawing and painting exist side by side. The more colour tonality is created the more precise the painting becomes. As the composition becomes illuminated by colour, the form reaches completeness.
Irrespective of the subject matter, it has to speak to me in some way. I have to feel a natural compassion towards the subject and a desire to form a relationship with it, as inevitably I am affected by the feeling or mood of the subject. My paintings evolve organically from life's everyday glances. Rather than trying to impose my will on them, I give them the freedom of expression. My paintings speak volumes, the key is the ability to listen and know when to stop.
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