|
|
Profile/Statement
I
have painted for as long as I can remember and have, over the years,
painted in many different ways according to where I have been on
my life's journey, my interests and my enthusiasms. I was born and
brought up the West Midlands and was always fortunate in being surrounded
by loving and encouraging parents and friends. Going to concerts
in Birmingham Town Hall and revelling in the glorious sounds of
our 'local' composer, Elgar was a great joy to me...as was my first
experience of Stravinsky when I was about 12. I was a real film
fanatic too, going to the cinema every week. I remember going to
see 'Lawrence of Arabia' when I was 10 and then pestering my parents
to go and see it again....and again ! I was so mesmerised by the
sights, sounds and the sweep of the landscapes. Looking back, I
think it was the feeling and sensations of travelling to wonderful
and faraway places, far beyond being actually able to travel there,
that drew me to the large, darkened, smoke filled and very magical
auditoriums. The Icy barrenness of the Antarctic, the steaming jungles
of Burma, the frozen wastes of Russia, the dusty redness of the
American West...I visited them all, clutching my popcorn and orange
soft drink! Through films, especially those made by David Lean,
I was an avid and passionate world traveller long before I actually
went anywhere more exotic than my local park. It was through film
that I began to love how to compose paintings...the positioning
of elements and the use
of colour have come directly from watching how directors have composed
their shots. Music has also been a great passion for me and has
always inspired me to be creative, either directly by composing
music or indirectly by helping me decide on the feel and colour
of a visual piece of work. I often play music whilst painting to
help the energy flow.
|
|
|
|
|
I
think I have a bit of the gypsy in my personality as I love travelling,
going for long walks, cycling and being in nature. I think I must
have been a travelling nomad in a previous life too...and very happy
about it! Landscape inspires my work constantly, whether it's the
deserts of Arizona, the lushness of Hawaii or the amazing scenery
of Britain...I am always in awe of the variety and richness that
is so close to us here. I remember a few years ago travelling from
Dorset on the south coast to the northern most tip of Scotland and
being constantly amazed by the change in the landscape...within
only a few miles ! Switzerland is another place I am drawn back
to again and again for inspiration...from the ruggedness of its
mountains to the tranquility of its lakes and forests. I also met
my wonderful and inspiring partner Deborah there, so have an especially
good reason to be truly thankful to that beautiful country and what
it has given to me.
Picasso
has been a hero of mine ever since I discovered art as a teenager.
I love the way he paints and the way his style changed during his
lifetime, never afraid to try new things and inject new life into
his work. There is a wonderful film about him called 'Surviving
Picasso' in which the character, played wonderfully by Anthony Hopkins,
sarcastically says 'artists bake cakes, and then they make a cake
mould...and then they just bake the same cake over and over again'
...It's important to be consistent, but it's also extremely important
to be vigilant about one's own creative output and to recognise
changes that need to happen to keep one's own creative energy, enthusiasm
and passion alive.
I have always enjoyed the feel of the brush on canvas or wood and
have always tried to convey the excitement I feel when engaged on
a piece of creative work. I'm also never afraid to radically alter
my approach if the subject demands it...good old Picasso ...his
words often ring in my head !
As far as medium is concerned, I particularly enjoy working in acrylic
for it's speed of drying ( even though that particular quality can
be a real pain ! ) but having said that, I have worked in oil a
great deal too. It's all dependent on the subject matter and the
quality of finish I want. I'm also very excited using mixed media
when I am doing more abstract, more 'surface orientated' work...sometimes
piling on the structure gel, laying on pearlescent paint, adding
glitter and working with gold leaf...bling bling sometimes get the
better of me but I have such a great time experimenting ! I think
if I was to give advice to any creative person, it would be not
to take one's self too seriously, to lighten up and above all, to
have lots of fun doing what they do....or why bother at all ! Creativity
is hard work, no doubt about that, but if it is not infused with
the essence of life and life energy it lies dead on the canvas.
Paintings should live and hopefully, impart some of that life energy
to the person viewing it.
My most recent work : Cityscapes - Venice/London - a brief statement
:
I
have recently been intrigued and fascinated by the dynamic intensity
of lines and forms to be found in cities. The way that a mass of
windows and juxtapositioned buildings can vibrate against one another
in exciting and unusual ways. I had been primarily been interested
in colour and form up to this point, but recent visits to these
two magical and wonderful cities opened my eyes to a wealth of possibilities
of focusing on line as being a powerfully expressive, energetic
and compelling way to visually describe and transcribe the latent
energy inherent in those two cities. The addition of mostly flat
and uncomplicated skies adds contrast and complements the whole.
I am continuing to pursue this theme.
I
hope you enjoy looking at the images on my site even though art
work on the web can give only an indication of what the real thing
looks like.
|
|
