Voyage to the Islands Print

I am a painter and former Lecturer in Fine Art (Painting) at Aberystwyth University, and continue to be thoroughly engaged in the process of painting. The ongoing struggle of getting a piece to work is both frustrating and compelling; there is something mysterious about paint, and a painting will not yield its answers without a thorough questioning. I loved painting from an early age, but also literature and certain aspects of science. Science too, has its mysteries and I began on a path to discover how past environments might be reconstructed. This requires a wide-ranging knowledge of earth and environmental sciences, specialist skills, yet also the power of imagination. I see a parallel with the art-making process. Eventually, I just had to take the plunge into art training because the call was too strong. I have been lucky enough to travel through the art education system from BA to PhD, always remaining true to my aim, which is to become the best possible painter I can be. Whilst painting, there are many decisions to be made, and no respite from the mental exertion. This process continues away from the studio too, in observational work and visits to galleries and museums, which I consider vital. I work best in series, and enjoy formulating projects that take me to different locations. I believe that a painting doesn’t have to be large to be powerful, and like the idea that small pieces make owning original art accessible to all. I enjoy wondering about my pieces that go out into the world and hope that the owner sees something new in the painting each day. Certainly that is an aspect I enjoy when viewing artwork myself. As a teacher of painting, I encouraged students to consider the mysterious aspects of painting, the use of intuition, and that true painting is an adventure, with the painter as explorer. My PhD Fine Art thesis "Seeking Equivalence: Exploring Dualities in Landscape Painting Practice" details my research into landscape experience through the medium of paint. At one point, I taught painting in China, and seeing paintings in museums there galvanised my interest in eastern art. Two of my paintings are in the 'Paintings in Hospitals' collection and it makes me happy to think that these works are making a difference to the lives of others.