In my recent work I find myself increasingly drawn to simplicity; clarity of line, colour and shape and a desire to create a sense of stillness. I aim to make paintings that ask you to slow down, that point to mystery and allow for contemplation. My titles might provide pointers but they are also ambiguous. I want the viewer to feel free to find their own meanings. Influenced by stained glass, illuminated manuscripts and the coloured acetate I have used in collages, I seek to create glowing colour and luminous shadows, experimenting with acrylic mediums and oil glazes to achieve this.
Internalising my experience, I want to recapture sensation by reducing and concentrating it within simple pictorial elements. I am interested in that moment of looking when shapes cease to be just shapes and we begin to attribute meaning to them. I enjoy playing with that idea of recognition while adhering to an abstract language that is not descriptive. This is especially true in the Box and Curtain paintings which could be seen as abstract or figurative. I want to allow for both to exist in tandem rather than anything that might be construed as trompe l’oeil. In the Curtain paintings for instance, the action of the arm making a downward motion with the brush results in an uneven edge when it comes to a stop.This effect is created by the process but, if you are seeing the painting as representing folds in a curtain, that same broken edge could be interpreted as tattered material, thus adding a possible narrative. The Box paintings can be hung in four different orientations. In some the box is clearly visible in others it can take time for the form to emerge out of what first appears to be a collection of abstract shapes.
The Circle paintings are an ongoing part of my practice. The spiritual significance of the circle as a symbol of eternity, continuity and wholeness and it’s perfect symmetry make it, for me, the most appealing of geometric forms but it also provides a structure or armature from which to commence, a framework within which to operate. With the question of form sorted I can concentrate on colour, tone and the particular quality of the paint; matt, shiny, transparent, broken, according to how it has been applied. Most importantly the Circle paintings provide a template for an exploration of mood as well as infinite possibilities of improvisation.