My painting is all about the mechanics of paint & brush, how to make the paint move by altering its consistency, how you hold the brush, how you mix the colours. The paint is the subject matter. I'm driven by the potential of the materials. I’m not a thematic painter, I move between abstract and figurative, gestural and minimal.
My painting is all about the mechanics of paint & brush, how to make the paint move by altering its consistency, how you hold the brush, how you mix the colours. The paint is the subject matter. I'm driven by the potential of the materials. I’m not a thematic painter, I move between abstract and figurative, gestural and minimal.
I want each piece of work I make to be different and better than the last. I tend to work across several pieces at once, allowing ideas and colours to bounce from one surface to another. I also consider the grounds I work on, recently returning to using re-cycled and non-pristine surfaces such as fabrics and old frames.
I often combine media, for example using stitch and collage. In doing so I am paying attention to both the visual qualities of the media and the historical context of the process. I am interested in how a piece is viewed and valued, referring at times to the false dichotomy of art versus craft.
Visually, I am led by colour. Often a piece of work will simply begin by me laying down a colour mark, then responding to it by adding a second and so on. I may then decide to incorporate imagery or explore accidental marks, deliberately messing up a surface to challenge the obvious direction the painting may be taking. I avoid the notion of perfection and if a painting becomes too comfortable I will disrupt it to allow it to develop into something new and more exciting.
I see each piece of work I make as a step leading onto something else. They can be seen by the viewer as individual and autonomous pieces and, indeed, I intend for them to stand alone. However, as the artist I am very aware of how they fit together even though at times they may appear disparate. Fundamentally I am exploring the language of paint and as such I relish the opportunity to contrast skill with accident and knowledge with spontaneity.
Education
Awards
Residencies
Teaching
Projects:
SELECTED SOLO SHOWS
SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
