I am a contemporary artist living and working in Bristol. My paintings are abstract but inspired by natural forms which I find in the local landscape. I aim to express something of the energy of the living world through rhythmic patterns of interlocking shapes and lines, while at the same time keeping a sense of harmony and balance. I love the varied greens and blues and the earthy tones that could be found in a walk through Leigh Woods or in the shade of oak trees in Ashton Court.
I start with gestures, lines and marks and then try to create a coherent composition by connecting, separating, repeating shapes, enlarging, rotating and really just playing intuitively with what’s there. A painting will change many times and in the end will become completely unrecognisable from it’s starting point. I build the paintings up with a palette knife so that they become thick and textured. I’ve recently started experimenting with oil and cold wax to create contrasts of texture and give the paintings more of a physical presence. It’s hard to tell when a painting is finished but there’s just a sense of “rightness” about it and the feeling of a puzzle being solved.
