My approach to painting and making in general stems from a previous career spent considering spaces and spatial relationships.
In my two dimensional work I am exploring a reality that exists in the same way that an emotion does, sensed and perceived – but not necessarily ‘seen’ in a literal sense. I am often happier scratching away at a neat edge or rubbing off colour that seems too predictable.
An awareness of the emotional power of colour and an enjoyment of the materiality of the paint medium directs my painting process. I really enjoy the challenge of capturing a likeness when I take on a portrait commission, even though I dislike trying to reproduce something that resembles a photograph.
The recent return to ceramics is taking me in a new direction. An understanding of form, shape and pattern was essential to me in my life as a designer and I’m now taking pleasure in the freedom I have to continue experimenting with this very personal expression of my response to my surroundings.