Willow Cradle Painting

Professional Practice ​My fascination with people and the human condition has been the driving impetus for much of my work. My BA degree show was an exhibition of portraiture of fellow students in the School of Art. My MA developed this theme. Portraiture is an abiding preoccupation but I am also transfixed by the effects of light on any subject. I use pencil, pastel, ink and charcoal; gouache, oils and acrylics, working (ideally) directly from life, from what's in front of me. When this is not possible, I paint from sketches, memories and many photographs. I make observational drawings daily, believing that sound drawing is the 'grammer' of the visual language. Where my earlier works were entirely representational, many of my newer paintings explore abstract approaches that enable me to reflect a deeper, and more ‘felt’ personal experience. Working in this way is complex and challenging but the outcomes are an invitation to the viewer to share and creatively reinterpret these sensations. Painting is a constantly evolving process to which I am entirely dedicated.