Many artists find the idea of a blank canvas daunting and I am no exception. My first task is to break the whiteness by putting down a base colour which, because of the nature of my work, shines through and becomes an intrinsic part, uniting the picture as a whole.
It is rare that I plan the picture, the antithesis of what was drummed into me when studying, preferring instead to allow the work to develop its own language.
Colour is everything to me and I spend a good deal of time mixing the hues and tones until I have arrived at a coherent palette, something I find a genuine pleasure. The rest is generally, albeit an oxymoron, ordered chaos.
Whilst working it is important for me to disengage the thinking brain and allow instinct to take over, this can often take a good while to achieve but once you get there it is from where the very best work is born. The act of placing paint onto any surface is rich in possibilities but every bit as fraught with challenges and frustration.
Herein lies the crux of the exciting nature of painting, the never knowing what will arrive before you.
I was born in Carshalton in Surrey but my early life was spent in Africa which has had a tremendous influence on my work, inspired particularly by the rich colours, designs and music. I trained as a graphic designer/illustrator in Taunton but my work has evolved into a more expressive and abstract form of painting.
I live in Tregony in Cornwall and exhibit regularly in the Penwith Gallery, St Ives Society in St Ives and the Markethouse in Marazion, Tyler Gallery in Mousehole and Roundhouse in Sennen.
My work has also been shown at the RWA in Bristol and with the Society of Women Artists at the Mall Galleries.
