Archive 2020-2023

The smaller abstracts were produced in bursts of necessity to loosen up. Working figuratively can cause my painting to become too tight and laboured. In order to have a looser approach I like to produce abstracts that I work on consecutively alongside. Allowing the looser markmaking to influence and inform my figurative painting.

These large scale paintings are based on the idea of repetition and deliberate gesture. The use of layers explores translucency and opacity. I’m excited by the new colours created as several overlay each other. I am also investigating obscuring colour by using neutral colours over the top. These appear white but are actually very pale pinks, blues, purples.

The overall composition of each painting owes a lot to improvisation with each mark adding to the rhythm of the painting.

I wanted these paintings to have two lives, I painted layers of ultraviolet paint that show in blue light, creating a different way to see the painting.

I’ve been drawing myself for a year now and I wanted it to culminate in some paintings. I didn’t want to go down a completely traditional route so I am playing around various ideas and compositions. 

Painting portraits that say a bit more about me than just my face.

‘Conversations with Family Passed and Present’. Started as the quest to find myself in the faces of my family. I didn’t realise it would become more than that.

Painting family has meant, introspection, reflection and retrospection.

I can see the characteristics that we share, is there more? Time spent painting them enables new dialogues to take place. It is a reconnection. Bringing forgotten memories and relationships back into my life in a way that I wasn’t expecting.

In this body of work, I wanted to manipulate paint to gain a better understanding of its qualities. Researching its opacity and translucency.

On completing each set, I found that I already had an idea for the next palette and also the marks I wanted to explore.

I used 12 pieces of 350gsm watercolour paper measuring 10cm x 10cm. The exact same palette for each painting, the paint applied in a variety of ways. The majority of them I painted in emulsion paint that I sourced from the recycling centre.

These digital paintings are an extension of my large-scale paintings. I am exploring repetition and deliberate gesture. It is intuitive to a certain extent but each palette is carefully considered.

Based on things that I have seen or experienced. The digital work varies from the physical paintings as most of the palettes are informed directly from nature.

I am continuing to explore the translucency and opacity of each colour.

It is a kind is asemic writing, as with the paintings there is an idea of letters but there isn’t any.

All of this work will be available as limited edition gicleé prints.