ABOUT

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I live and work in Dover, Kent with the atmospheric bands of distinct coastal colours and the hazy sky-line of France not so far in the distance.

I take inspiration from the surrounding landscape: the fragile chalk white cliffs with their irregular strings of sharp flint, shipping lanes which criss-cross the sea, solid wrought iron industrial structures, that are re-shaping the landscape echoing the aspirational needs of communities in the twenty-first century; traces of these linear forms have found their way into many of my paintings.

I am also inspired by what is partly revealed and what remains hidden under the layers of history that lie beneath the coastal paths and local towns: shapes, shadows, remnants of wars and ancient power struggles; the transformative and never-ending cycle of loss and renewal.

In my paintings there are aspects of asemic writing; splintered letters and words. Enigmatic symbols that have been worn away by time or washed by the sea.

Process/Technique

I work in both oils and acrylic, on wood panels or canvas. I strategically build up layers of paint and then excavate back through to reveal aspects of what was once there.  

I have a passion for Letraset which I add into and onto the surface of the painting. The quality and feel of the surface is an integral part of my work; some paintings are finished with cold wax layers, others with a matt varnish. 

An objective is to create a tension between gestural and controlled marks to bring energy and life into each painting. Importantly, I reference my background in both textile design and art psychotherapy through emotion, active imagination, pattern and design, whilst integrating and exposing different and varying aspects of my life.