Xhosa Man Painting

I am an English artist who has lived in both Rio, Brazil and Cape Town, South Africa. I started a career in art doing portraiture and wildlife. I have painted famous horses and riders in different fields of horsemanship and won 'Wildlife in Action' at The Wildlife Artist of the Year, London in 2010 and 2013. While living in Brazil I was inspired by the bright colours and naïve paintings, which simplify form. A further move to Cape Town provided fresh eyes into the contemporary art scene encouraging me to take my art in a more abstract direction. Using mixed media such as acrylic, oil, enamel, gold leaf and fabric on printed fabric I layer textures, interweaving a surface of patterns, symbolism and characters. My background in traditional techniques shows through in my work, often animals or people emerge from an obscure background.