"Ginkgo Biloba" Collage

Colour is, literally, vital to me. I use paints, inks, dyes and pure pigments to build up intense and glowing but (I hope)subtle colours. I make my own cotton paper which offers a seductive texture to work on and can be moulded and manipulated, and I constantly experiment with materials and techniques. Each new piece repsresents a challenge, a puzzle to solve. It begins with a specific plan or idea but often encounters some clash, difficulty or accident which has to be embraced. A risky way to work, but if you stick only to what you know your work can quickly go stale. One of my solo shows was called "˜Chance or Design?' and that just about sums it up. Throwaway or reclaimed elements combine with costly ones such as pure pigments and gold and silver leaf. So long as it doesn't rot, fade or rub off I'll consider it. Pattern creation and recognition are, to me, the basis of art. The rhythms and forces of nature leave traces and create shapes in the physical world. There's a sense of continuity and purpose in knowing that the urge I feel to mimic these patterns and weave them back into my environment has been felt by people since earliest times. I hope people can sense the playful, experimental aspect of my work as well as the underlying "˜story'.