Artist Statement

For me the experience of putting to canvas what comes from within is exhilarating. The intense satisfaction I feel each time I complete a canvas is both fulfilling and nourishing.  I feel a strong sense of achievement once my thoughts have been effectively transmuted into an abstract representation of colour, movement and texture.  

I am inspired primarily by the amazing and multifarious facets of nature, and also by the  diverse spectrum of people, architecture food and clothing that I have encountered on my many travels. My adventure with each abstract canvas begins with a specific combination of colours.  I am very loyal to the colours I use, taking extra care to allow each one to be expressed in its pure form and not be diluted unnecessarily. Each shade has its own right to play a part on the canvas and this is what I aim to achieve each time I start a new piece.  For me, it is wonderful to put colours together that evoke a reaction from the viewer; like it or not, we all have subliminal views on which colours match with each other – I enjoy challenging these views.

Art is not a static representation. The movement that I depict and capture in each of my abstract paintings is what creates the thread of narrative that anchors my work.  I try to link each section; this results in a series of connections that are caught up in the strong currents of each painting, thus generating their own source of visual energy.

Textures are vital to my work. I actively encourage my audience to go ahead and feel the surfaces of my paintings; interestingly, this invitation always evokes a reaction of disbelief from the viewers as they are invariably surprised to be given the opportunity to actually touch a piece of art. This additional sensory approach adds another dimension to the viewers overall experience.  The feedback from viewers on their experience of 'feeling' my art led me to question what it would be like for a blind person to 'experience' my art?  After a few focus group sessions, I devised and further developed my 'Art Appreciation Workshops for the Blind or Partially Sighted', which I now run globally in collaboration with organisations that support the visually impaired. I love conducting these workshops as I passionately believe that art should be accessible to ALL, including those who may not be able to actually see it.

Experimenting with mixed media, such as sand, papier-mache and wax, has produced some exciting textures that I have enjoyed marrying with traditional oil & acrylic paints on the canvas.  It also reflects my personal philosophy that art should be dynamic and interactive; the relationship between colour, movement and texture is the platform for creating an experience that is uniquely personal and intensely vivid for each viewer.

I hope this has given you an insight into my style of work and the passion that lies behind it. I thoroughly enjoy creating abstract pieces and continue to be inspired by people’s reactions to my art.