Being born on an island has always been central to my creative life and story. I have a deep respect for the ocean and its ever-changing nature, and it continues to shape how I see and work. Wind, weather, shifting light, the colour of the land and the underlying geology all feed into my practice. In the studio, these elements are not described directly, but gathered, pared back, and re-formed.
Of particular interest to me is the synthesis of realism and abstraction. My current research and experimental work explores how realism can push into an abstract space. There is a constant back-and-forth in the work; while abstract, it holds an organic relationship to sea, sky and land.
I am drawn to the challenge of making something from nothing, using paint and mixed media to respond to what surrounds me. In recent years, this has centered on the shoreline, that shifting, energetic edge between land and sea, both a divide and a point of connection.
Walking and observing coastal environments are important parts of my process. I use photography to capture moments that present themselves, and drawing to work through balance and rhythm. Back in the studio, these references begin to loosen, dissolve, and re-emerge through the layers of what I have gathered. I am not trying to fix an image, but to hold a sense of movement, atmosphere, and presence.
There is a particular satisfaction when balance, energy, and rhythm come into play on the surface when something intangible begins to feel visible. The work is rooted in place but kept open, allowing space for the viewer to find their own connection within it.