Decklife 3 Print

I work in a contemporary way using figurative, impressionistic and conceptual styles to create my unique artworks. I work in the Fine Art mediums of painting and sculpture, as well as mixed media. My inspiration comes from the sea and coastal places which helps shape and inform my work. Living by the coast in South Wales, my daily walks take me along coastal foot paths and onto wonderful beaches. I record these journeys in my sketchbooks, working plein air and making photographs of things that catch my eye to use later in my studio. The beach is a changing place through the seasons and its always different. My painting "Langland Bay" depicts one of my favourite beaches that I visit regularly so it is a place close to my heart. I often utilize found objects on the beach too such as reclaimed board from the coast to paint on that bear the patina scars of the sea's ebb and flow. The seashore is a spiritual place for me where I can breathe deeply and gather thoughts as well as feel my most creative. A sense of freedom to develop and unravel ideas is my experience in this environment and to see and enjoy the ever changing views and hues that these wonderful seascapes offer. As a multi-disciplined artist, I use a variety of mediums and media to make paintings and sculptural artworks. I like to paint in watercolour, synthetic polymer (acrylic) or oil on paper, canvas or board. My work reflects the light and ambience found in coastal places that I visit as well as referencing the UK coastline. Through exploring the beautiful Welsh coastline, the sea has become my central theme and inspiration for my paintings with its eternal ebb and flow as a constant fascination for me. Travel and visiting different places also inspires me and acts as a starting point for a lot of my work. I travel when I can, especially to surf coasts in Australia, where I document experiences in sketchbooks which are then used as reference for work in my studio. See "Sunnymead", "Jan Juc sunset", "Twelve Apostles" "Aperture 3" "Boardwalk View", "Wave Watching at Squeaky Beach", my paintings of Australian places. I studied Fine Art painting under British Artists Maggi Hambling, David Hepher, Roger Ackling and Annabel Nicolson, all of which whose work I admire greatly. My other influences are Frida Kahlo, David Hockney, and Pierre Bonnard whose paintings tell a story about people and places.