Artist Statement
"The evidence of man’s presence in the landscape is not always detrimental - indeed, it can at times be complementary to it, and it is at this meeting point, the human with the natural, where my interest lies – a ploughed field on chalky downland, a bridleway cutting across a hillside, the line of an ancient hedgerow. These lines, and particularly the maps I use to negotiate them, form the basis of the structure on which I work".
"My day invariably starts with a walk. Depending on my route, it can take anywhere from 45 - 90 minutes. A strong connection with nature is critical to my practice, providing me both with subject-matter and spiritual sustenance. This daily ritual roots me to the natural world, and I become sensitised to it - the smells, the sounds, the colours – my legs and lungs define the topography".
"In recent paintings, it seems there are the moments of clarity and of obscurity that one might expect on a foggy day. As the clouds part, the structure behind is drawn into sharp focus, only to be covered once again by the thin veil. Similarly, with the passing of the seasons, leaves or snow cover the ground and change the landscape subtly. In this, there is a parallel with my own practice, of painting and re-painting areas of muted colour, blanketing what has gone before".
"I usually make work in a series. Starting with a seed of an idea, I then pursue and explore that idea, through the series, to it's natural conclusion. A painting can dictate how it will end up - there is a dialogue with the paint, and the process is more collaborative than one might think. Sometimes, this is successful, and the viewer can determine a sense of progression through the individual works. At other times, I can paint six pieces, none of which are as successful as the first. I have learnt to become more self-critical over the last few years, and if a particular piece, or series, isn't working, I now have no hesitation in over-painting or destroying it".
"I paint on board or canvas, and in acrylic or oil. First steps for a new piece involve gesso and a wash of colour, often raw umber or payne's grey. I then draw a structure, sometimes a grid, or otherwise perhaps a more organic network of lines which delineate areas over which I will apply more colour. These initial stages are spontaneous and largely sub-conscious - what the abstract expressionists might have termed "automatic writing". Continuation of the work is, by contrast, carefully considered. Certain areas appear "right" from the start, whilst others may require many changes of colour before the right combination of tones and shades has been found. The most important element of a work is how these areas relate to their neighbours, and whether they contrast or complementOften, final completion of the piece sees a return to drawing and mark making, with pencil or a fine point that scrapes away overlying colour to reveal the layers below. The twin acts of covering and uncovering are clearly important parts of the process, but I try not to examine the reasons for this too much. Perhaps just an awareness of the under-painting is enough".
Solo Shows
2008 Paintings and Ceramics at Arts Forum Gallery, St Leonards on Sea
2002 “Spring Pyre Series” - Stables Gallery Hastings Solo Show
Selected Group Exhibitions
2016 Affordable Arts Fair, Hampstead
Invited artist at "The September Exhibition", Wadhurst, East Sussex
Pure Autumn Art Fair, Powdermills, Battle
The Gallery on the Corner, Battersea
2015 Rye Society of Artists Summer Exhibition
2014 "Superfresh", Spa Gallery, The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells
2010 Awarded “Best Emerging Artist” at Battle Contemporary Fine Art Fair
2009 Rye Society of Artists Summer Exhibition
Common Ground at Hastings Arts Forum, a collaboration with Anna Brice Cockland
2008 Royal Society of British Artists at the Mall Galleries, London
2007 Coastal Currents Open Studios
Hastings Arts Forum Gallery Show, St Leonards on Sea
2006 Royal Society of British Artists at the Mall Galleries, London
Group Exhibition at Stormont Studios, Rye
An Exhibition of Small Works at Easton Rooms, Rye
2005 Royal Society of British Artists at the Mall Galleries, London
Summer Exhibition at Easton Rooms, Rye
