Hyaenas Painting

" Why do I paint? Is it vital for my mind or just an addiction to the smell of oil and turpentine? Maybe it's a bit of both. The satisfaction of finishing a good picture is unparalleled. Being covered in paint from head to toe, reeking of turpentine - standing in front of the canvas in its moistness, its freshness. That's euphoria! Living in Ireland for over 12 years, this small island, with its harsh, windblown landscape, its open fields, muddy country lanes, straggly hedgerows, rambling ivy on crooked trees and the big and open northern sky with its distinctive cloud-filtered light has literally 'blown' my mind away. There is so much 'green' everywhere that sometimes I have to use loads of reds to balance it out - either in anger or rage. Either way it paints a picture of the incredible energy that abounds in this wonderful country. These works are 'a profound meditation on what it is, and how it feels to belong. One mile up from the beach. In the middle of nowhere. In Ireland. "