I specialize in skies and landscapes. Inspirations have come from my rural childhood. Life on the Jurassic Coast and numerous extended travel periods exploring 6 continents, encountering astonishing landscapes and cultures. I walk and make sketches to capture moments and interpretations of feelings, which can be used later to develop ideas.
The techniques I use have gone through a number of developmental phases over the years.The process of weathering and slow change drew me to experiment with metal sheets and the effects of chemistry, heat and weathering to create patination foundations that I could then develop with traditional art materials. I have been refining my techniques and use different metals for different effects.
My garden is my studio. My tools are bonfires, various acids and alkalis, grinders, scrapers, brushes, pastels, sprays and natural weathering. Work can be left in my garden to develop for weeks or even months, opening up surface possibilities.
Working with science and nature in this way often gives unexpected results, especially with the uneven heat of fires and exposure time, challenging me as an artist to create my work. Every painting is therefore very individual and hard to reproduce.
I grew up on a farm in the Peak District and loved the open spaces and skies of the countryside. After art school and a number of years working as an interior designer for commercial spaces in various cities around the world, I changed direction in the '90s and started to paint as an independent artist.
I moved to Lyme Regis, Dorset on the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast and opened Blue Lias Gallery to sell my paintings, alongside work by other regional artists. In 2003 I sold the gallery and became a full time artist, allowing time to focus on my art and pioneer new techniques in painting.
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