Artist Statement
Past time spent as a designer in television and theatre has strongly influenced the painting that I now focus on. Screen imagery is frequently referenced, both in terms of creating scenic, architectural structures and in the use of deeply contrasting lighting and intense colour to create a dramatic effect. Connected to this is an interest in paintings from the past that display a fascination for the kind of lighting that is a forerunner of film lighting today.
My most recent work further develops the idea of stylised houses inserted into fictitious landscapes.- although the terrain is becoming increasingly more remote. Creating these images has enabled me to travel to places that are further afield, yet still remain in my studio. They are shaped from a multitude of references, sketches and memories gathered over many years and from many places.
Hinterland - For the title of my newest series I have taken this to mean remote areas far from cities or coast. Contemporary dwellings ( often leaning towards the modernist) are then created as havens, nestling harmoniously into these surroundings. I am also interested in the more recent use of the term to denote a rich inner life to which we can all retreat internally away from everyday stresses. This dual meaning seems to encompass my thoughts as I make the work.