The Gate Painting

I have lived several lives - from being an apprentice roofer, working and living on a caravan park, to being a head teacher in multiple settings, including a pupil referral unit. I have seen life from many sides and aim to celebrate this richness and variety in my work. Whilst I have always painted, I began painting full time in 2019 and use my rich and vibrant history and experience to inform the celebratory nature of my work. I make bold, energetic, vibrant paintings using contrasting materials such as plastics soldered onto the canvas alongside gold leaf, peat and other materials found in the landscape, asking the viewer to consider the impact of our actions on our beautiful planet. I want people to enjoy my images and to perhaps re look at their own environment through a more vibrant lens, but then on closer inspection to discover the different materials on the canvas and ask questions as to why it is there. I want the discovery of other materials on the canvas to be as subtle as it is in the environment – not really understanding its greater impact at first, but when given the time to contemplate its wider effects, to think beyond the surface, beyond the beauty and to lament at the juxtaposition between a material such as plastic alongside peat or elderberry.