About

I work between my studios in Sherborne, Dorset and the South East.

​

My approach to working is similar to that of Marc Chagall:  

 

"If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; 

if from the head, almost nothing”

 

I was brought up in the South West of England, just a few yards from the sea. As a child with an insatiable curiosity and a love of freedom, beaches and the nearby countryside became my playgrounds.  Memories of building dens, running with the wind on a deserted beach, gathering shellfish, constructing dams to hold back the tide and watching the play of light on the water have stayed with me and still evoke emotions. I remain fascinated by the pulse of the ocean, big skies, colours and the ever-changing countryside. The counties of Devon, Somerset and Dorset are very dear to me and drive my creativity.

 

I work almost entirely from emotional memory and ‘mind shots’. My inspiration can be sparked by a piece of music, a big sky, a walk, a feeling, a colour or a memory that can take me to a place which is often familiar to my inner child.

 

When I start a picture I usually work blindly with no plan, letting the image unfold in front of me. The scene often appears by scraping paint off rather than applying more. In my ‘mind’s eye’ my locations exist somewhere in my South West heartland - exactly where is a conundrum.