Artists Statement
Even my earliest memory from childhood is of, myself with a pencil in my hand and drawing on some scraps of paper, from the likes of old used envelopes to the backs of old letters and paper bags. I have always found that when I would draw or make any kind of image that I was fulfilling a deep felt necessity for self expression, even at as early an age as four.
I had always done well in all my art subjects throughout my school years and received lots of encouragement from teachers and family. As I progressed from drawing farmyard and wild animals, imagined monsters, super heroes and space-age cars, I later developed a concern for the reflection of some deeper and issues. Whether that was to express some happiness, joy and even the absurd or to exorcise some personal demons by capturing them on a sheet of paper. I have progressed over the years into attempting to tackle some of the issues of what it means to be human and our place within existence. These issues continue to interest me today and are likely to keep me interested long into the future.
I didn’t get around to trying oil paints until I was in my late thirties and instantly fell in love with the medium because of the radiance, depth and richness that can be achieved. I continue to primarily work with oils today and regularly experiment with new and exiting ways to use them.
There are many interesting concepts that I try to weave into my work, from rendering portraits, as I might perceive a persons character to creating a surreal scenario that suggests concern about some troubling issues of personal or social relationships. These interests that I hold close are a common thread through my work today, with the main focus on the nature of the human condition and our struggle to come to a clear and concise understanding of our place within the natural order of existence. Starting with , Is there in fact any meaning at all? Or maybe it is our place to create and apply meaning ourselves. and 'what is the nature of reality?' and 'how can we realise our full potential within it ? These, and many more, are the kinds of questions that I consider for representation in my artwork. My attempts to come to any conclusion always seem to lead to more questions than answers and so this has lead me to think of my pursuits of subject matter for my art as an adventure, a puzzle to solve, a journey that is well and truly under-way and yet has no end in sight. The journey into the future will present many more intriguing, sometimes controversial, philosophical and insights of morality. This is what I sincerely feel is my responsibility to reflect with my art and my hope is to let it have some resonance with the viewer.