Profile

I am based in a village in Cambridgeshire in the U.K.

I have used many different mediums over the years and am inspired by those that are water-based as I have always loved the unpredictability of the results. However, I now also paint landscapes with an extremely loose acrylic underpainting and then on top come in with mark making in pastels.

With regard to my acrylic ink work, I haven’t been influenced by any particular artist for this work, but arrived at it through experimentation and researching many different artists. I am strongly influenced by the natural world and in particular looking closely at objects to reveal their hidden beauty – exploiting unusual viewpoints. The subject matter for the acrylic ink works calls for dramatic shapes and the natural world provides these in abundance. Some of my recent work includes birds – those with striking plumage or birds of prey, with their amazing eyes and beaks. These have mostly been done on a larger format, to create a more dramatic effect.

Soft pastels are a medium I have been using for a while, as they work really well when I want to portray landscapes. I take time to create texture on the boards I am working on, followed by an underpainting of loose acrylic. When I apply the pastel, the pastel hits the raised areas, leaving the acrylic showing through. This creates a real depth and interest to the work, which I could not achieve with just straight pastels. Sometimes I find that the mark-making created by the acrylic paint is so interesting that I alter what I am going to do with the pastel layer and leave it showing through. As an artist, one always has to be prepared for the unexpected - and relish it when it happens!