Our Journey Continues Print

This work is about my personal, internal voyage. I have lived in many different places and travelled widely (although I’d like to travel more) so at first glance this may be interpreted as a seascape but my aim is to show something deeper that reflects my own internal growth. Like most of my work, nature is the main inspiration for this piece. I have created shapes reminiscent of birds, lotus flowers, water, clouds without wishing to represent them in a realistic way. They are symbols that hold significance for me. I intend this to be about my spiritual travels within my own consciousness but I also hope the viewer will find the themes universal and can see something of their own hopes and dreams reflected here. . I’m fascinated by the play of light through mist. I paint in the studio mostly from memory with only occasional reference to my sketches and photos. Working this way allows me to break free from making a more representational image. Oil paint is applied in many thin glazes over a wooden panel. The glazes of oil paint create a translucent surface revealing subtle colour variations with prolonged viewing. There is also some spray painting in the under layers. There are also calligraphic-like marks inspired by the flutter and flash of insects caught in misty morning light. These quick, intuitive marks also represent for me the flow of energy in the universe. My main artistic inspiration is the work of JMW Turner. Boucher, Monet, Bosch, Chinese ink painting, Buddhist art are all influences. I also take ideas from Art Nouveau, Surrealism and fantasy art. Contemporary artists Chu Te Chun, Zao Wou-Ki, Chris Rivers, Ella Baudinet, Darren Waterston, Roger Dean and Cruz Jimenez all inform my work.