Since finishing my degree in fine art at Falmouth School of Art and spending some time in Edinburgh I moved to Cumbria and the Lake District in 1994. I have been living, painting, climbing and learning the fells around here ever since.
My work is mainly landscape based, concentrating on the fells around my home and other areas visited including the Scottish and Welsh mountains. I explore the landscape on foot and bike and collect sketches and photographs which I then use to produce the paintings in my studio. Colour and light are important to me, the mountains can change from one second to the next and these fleeting changes often lift the whole landscape, I try to capture these special moments.
Figures are often, but not always, present in my pictures as I feel they can add a sense of scale and connection. Sometimes they are a small part of the painting and at other times the main focus.
It is clear that the abstract qualities of the paint are as relevant to me as the representation of the original image and the enjoyment/energy/struggle of the paint and process can show through. I like to keep an element of experimentation and chance when working to keep my paintings fresh. My paintings are constantly changing and this is important.
I usually use either oil on canvas or acrylic on paper with the addition of other materials like oil pastels, charcoal or pencil when I feel the need. I don’t like to feel too restricted by traditional techniques. I use a mixture of brushes and pallet knives to apply the paint and use a variety of things to scrape into the wet paint and move it around. I hope you can enjoy the paintings.