Artist Statement

My work is currently focused on landscapes.  I have spent a large part of my adult life dealing with the complexities of peoples’ emotions and well-being.  Paradoxically, I find that by not including figures in the work I liberate the landscape from the scale imposed by them.  By leaving distance ill defined, and the form ambiguous in my paintings, the viewer can discern echoes of their own memories and experiences.

I work on canvas, wood, perspex and canvas paper.  I only work with oil paint because I find the creative process of working with them endlessly exciting and thrilling.  I layer paint in thin layers and glazes, then scratch the surface to reveal the colours below.  I also use pure graphite pencils and occasionally liquid metal, or silver leaf, to add texture to the composition.

I live in a small city, full of the old traditions, yet still young, vibrant and constantly re-inventing itself. Yet I love to drive out of it, away from the noise and excitement that the city brings. I take many photographs and sketch, which I then use as inspiration when I am back in the studio. However it is primarily my memory that triggers my work. I can close my eyes and remember where I was, what the weather was like, the colours, the sounds and the smell of earth.

As an artist I am constantly pushing myself to experiment and take risks.  I do not print my work, as I wish for my clients to own an original painting that they will not find elsewhere. However I am attending a ten-week certificate course in printmaking at The Curwen Press from September 2011.

Having lived in Southern California for several years I have a growing number of US collectors, and I was represented by The Agora Gallery in New York during 2009/10,  however I now regularly exhibit in the UK with Ovenden Contemporary Art, Cambridge Open Studios, Siott Gallery and from November 2011 I will be represented by Cambridge Contemporary Art.  In 2010 I was selected to become a member of the Cambridge Drawing Society who exhibit twice a year in Cambridge UK. In 2009/10 I collaborated with interior designers who used my work in show homes.

Since the beginning of 2010 I have been continually working on private and corporate commissions. 2011 has brought more commissions and the opportunity to collaborate with other artists in new and exciting ventures.

I also have a permanent collection at Lighting Sensations, a contemporary lighting specialist company based in Cambridgeshire and I often organise one-off group shows with other artists and crafts professionals, raising money for local charities.

Originally trained in Furnishing Textiles, I pursued an alternative career before returning to painting twelve years ago.  I then went on to study at The Cambridge School of Art.

Private works are owned in the US, Canada, Australia, Southern India and the UK.

Here is the video of an interview of me done by Noel Garner, founder of Cambridge Art Academy, on the advantages of having one’s own dedicated studio. It’s an excellently put together production, and features some shots of my Open Studios private preview party. I prefer to be behind the camera so I hate seeing myself like this – but enjoy. Visit Noel’s website, too, since he is looking to turn these sort of interviews into a commercial venture.

Press here to read a recent interview of me by Sonja Benskin-Mesher for Ovenden Art.