Artist Statement
Being born on an island and never far from the sea has been a very important part of my creative life and story. I have an abiding love and respect for the sea, which influences my work. Wind, weather, the colour of the land, geology, and the ocean are all integral to my work—all of which are inspirational. In my studio, I bring these elements together.
I have always engaged with the struggle and exploration of making something out of nothing on a surface, using paint and mixed media to express an idea—a reaction to that which surrounds me. In recent years, it has been an interest in our shoreline: the energy and divide that exists between land and sea.
As a painter, I have spent time navigating our coastal lands and seascapes. I use my camera to capture something that shows itself to me, and drawings to find the balance and rhythm. My reward is the surprise and delight experienced when I succeed in bringing energy into a visible or tangible form, which the sea and shoreline offer—work that can also be attached to emotion, an engagement with the unconscious. When balance, energy, and rhythm are at play on the canvas or surface, I can walk away content.