I'm a contemporary skyscape and landscape artist, living and painting in South Devon. I feel very lucky to live in one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, with Dartmoor and the coastline on my doorstep, both of which inform and enrich my work deeply.
Nature and the evolving beauty of the sky, are my inspiration. The sky is never still, always changing in mood, colour and light. Through my work I intend to surrender to this continually shifting quality, and communicate my inner experience, of the dramatic nature of sky and landscape. Expressing the 'essence' of nature, by capturing the compelling play between light and dark, beauty and chaos, within natures 'moods' and shifting expressions.
The rich, malleable quality of oil paint gives me the freedom to express the vibrancy, movement and depth of my subject matter. 24ct gold leaf, which I incorporate into some of my work, adds a new dimension of light dynamic, creating a juxtaposition within my darker skies. It's never my intention to copy what I see, instead I hope to express the movement of weather, the atmosphere, and the feelings and emotions evoked by a place or moment in time.
Like the mercurial skies, I let a piece grow, shift and develop, 'feeling' my way to the final piece. I avoid planning my paintings too much, but instead, surrender to the creative process and the feelings I want to evoke, letting the painting emerge and express itself into being. I find a lot of joy in this process, in the unknown, and the creative expression that comes from my personal experience of sky and nature.
