you're not alone Painting

I live near Edinburgh with my wife and son. We enjoy walks, road trips, food, music and fire. When I was growing up, I loved Escher, Dali, Bruegel and Bosch. These influences have stayed with me however my art developed further as I began to appreciate the power and symbolism of tribal art - from Celtic art to Inuit sculpture, from African masks to Aboriginal design. Ethnic art often portrays the ancient, spiritual connection between humans, animals and Earth. I wanted to emulate the mysterious beauty and horror of tribal art as a way of expressing our basic human instincts. I believe these instincts never change, despite the all the technology and distractions we are surrounded by. We are still connected first and foremost, to each other and the earth. Nature, light and imagination twist around in my head and I conjure up surreal forms and mask-like paintings which try to be ambiguous: sometimes with meaning, sometimes without. Often spontaneous and often with an intended message. Society and self-awareness are very important to me. I dream that change and empowerment can happen across the world. The rich minority with their corporations and banks should never be allowed to buy power and given free reign to control society and the environment. Maybe creativity and art can awaken people on a personal level. Then maybe, creativity on a wider scale can help to inspire a new wave of activism. A brave new awareness about what we are actually doing here. One clear message is needed to unite us towards realisation, peaceful change and ultimately towards our reconnection to this miraculous planet. The massive majority of the people on Earth all want the same thing: peace and happiness. Art, writing and music are powerful tools to make this happen and I am proud to be one tiny part of the jigsaw.