I have investigated a variety of areas of painting (abstract, human figure, landscape). Presently, I have two main areas of interest: the human figure, and combining elements of the physical world with painting. I like to explore different ways of seeing the human figure, usually working from life drawings or photographs. The figures may be positioned in an interior but I often remove, minimize or alter the context in order to reveal or exaggerate an appearance of simple geometry or summarized elements. My long-standing fascination with the matter that makes up the earth and the way it has been shaped and distributed has led me to experiment by combining acrylic paint with eroded particles – sand, shell and stone – collected from a variety of coastal areas. Hence, the resulting arrangements of matter are comprised of components whose form and composition is uniquely reliant on their geographical origin, and my arrangement of them reflects a preoccupation with the forces involved in their formation. The painting technique involves mixing acrylic medium with sand to provide a matrix and adhesive for larger particles, so that the arrangement sets very hard and with variable texture. In gathering this matter from the shore, it is spared from further erosion and distributed in arrays that evoke a sense of order, contrasting with the underlying tendency for disorder. In these arrangements, I like to include reference to the game of chess played within an 8 x 8 matrix and, by incorporating measure and regularity (components of a pulse), I want to suggest the passage of time over which processes of abrasion, crystallization, tectonics and tide have worked. I am a largely self-taught artist, but have received tuition in life drawing & painting at Kent Institute of Art & Design (now University College for the Creative Arts) at Canterbury. I have held two solo exhibitions in local galleries (Horsebridge, Whitstable, 2006 and Ebonytwist, Folkestone, 2007) and have participated in the Canterbury Festival Art Fairs.

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