Artist’s statement
My process sometimes begins with a response to something tangible, it may be a piece of machinery, wooden chairs, something organic, or a thought, or feeling.
Techniques with paint are in a state of flux, using oil paint or acrylic on canvas or primed paper, or printing with a screen. Directness of expression is an approach, best achieved through lack of premeditation.
In the Consulting room
My art experience from Plymouth College of art, and then over the years with clients and students has taught me to keep a non-judgemental outlook, not being a slave to thoughts and emotions. My approach is to allow myself to consider being playful, and not be attached to outcomes or control which can inhibit the freedom of play.
“Letting go gives rise to new ways of working”
It is to have the right intention, the right action and the right effort. Mindfulness helps with greater clarity on what is happening with the media, how it is manipulated, the speed of the brush, the over laying, the size, the balance of the composition, the space or the intensity of the area being addressed.
All these thoughts are taken into consideration during the production. It is not easy. The inner reflection is used to gain a deeper understanding of the art which unfurls itself before me. The critic is waiting to attack, to throw me off my journey, I have to resist this negativity.
It is a good idea to work on more than one piece at a time, and to have a long gap between looking at pieces that have come to a halt. I must not be constrained by the picture “working” or not “working” visually. Sometimes it is just like magic when a piece comes together as though “the muse” is working through me. I may be unconvinced by a process, and then before my eyes is revealed art which I would never have thought of producing, and yet here it is. This surprise, or ‘ah ha’ moment, makes the intensity of the process so worthwhile. I continue to strive for the intangible, not resting until I discover what I am trying to communicate.
Collage is also a favourite, collecting pieces of paper with variations in colour and texture and which have been printed on, or items that inspire, wandering around looking at surfaces, maybe the way moss grows on an old plank of wood, rust on metal with layers of paint peeling off . Time is spent arranging the elements of art which I use to capture a unique and dynamic perspective of the world.
