Headland V

When I retired from full time work as an administrator at North Devon College, in Barnstaple, North Devon, I decided that, after painting for so many years, on a self-taught basis, I should formalise my education and get a degree. My choice was Fine Arts and after three years study in Barnstaple and Taunton, I graduated in 2011 with a Grayson Perry (upper second) from Plymouth University.

I have been a member of the Westward Ho! & Bideford Art Society for many years and was Exhibition Organiser from 2010 - 2018. I have also done a little teaching for groups of folks locally and have lived in the area for many years.

Colour is my passion. In my degree, I focused on painting and for three wonderful and scary years I was able to experiment and play. My thesis was on colour in the industrial age, which was a fascinating area of research. For me image making is often formed from memory and emotion rather than direct observation and, as with other artists, I can be influenced by issues that have a strong meaning for me. Initial stages of painting is where I enjoy the process of allowing and enabling material to flow and develop dynamically. Further stages can include form produced from images created by the spontaneous action of the media.

In some ways it could be argued that I am portraying what I see around me, in the landscapes, seascapes and skyscapes, of this beautiful part of this country.  Living in Devon, I am lucky that I only have to walk a mile or so to get to water; there are several rivers nearby and the local marshes and estuary often provide the inspiration and motivation for my work. I am drawn to the abstractions in nature, and these play a large part in my work, sometimes without my being conscious of their presence until nearing completion of the piece.

This year, my images relate to an area along the path near Westward Ho! Erosion of the cliffs in Devon is a theme that has been with me for a while, although I am too lazy to be an activist, it is something that continues to concern me.

My work is held in private collections in London, Scotland, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Australia, Germany and USA.

Mixed Media with Collage

50x50cm