Statement

My approach is intuitive, evolving from an extended period of experimentation. Drawing and painting are of equal significance in my practice.  I find drawing expresses an idea or form quickly, efficiently and openly –  it is an exploration using line and other mark making techniques.  In contrast, building up layers of oil over acrylic wash to make a painting takes time to resolve.

In this process, there is always tension between swathes of colour and drawn line until I find greater clarity.  Even so, an added mark or colour can take the work to a different place.  Using this approach helps me resist the pressure of pushing the painting to become a picture too soon.

I generally look for the figurative within the abstract to create a kind of primordial narrative, as characters evolve and morph.  In recent work sometimes only their vague impressions remain, receding into abstraction.   This new open-endedness is stimulating the development of my practice.