Art Statement

Since moving back to London from Hong Kong I have been spending some time re-establishing the basics of drawing, and really looking at things.

Rather than being bewitched by the unsteady rhythms of the play of light on water as I was in East Asia, I am newly fascinated by the changing seasons and the effects of nature on the glorious trees in the commons and parks that surround us in our new home in London. I have been thinking how best to approach this exciting new subject with all the various weather fluctuations - let's see what happens next!

​In the meantime I am concentrating my efforts on still-life. Examining spatial relationships and trying to create shape by the interplay of light against dark.

Painting for me is an all-encompassing activity, much like meditation. I am addicted to the total immersion of the conscious self as I try to grasp the quintessence of my artistic endeavours, the insight gained during the journey taken, being more significant than the destination. 

The process of painting is somewhat like having a conversation, albeit with myself. Involving my art with an audience is the sharing of those private conversations – daunting but inevitable. In the resulting work I hope that I am able to point towards the wealth of beauty that surrounds us in the rich spectacle of everyday life. 

My observation is that many people don’t seem to have the time or inclination to properly ‘see’ the things that surround them, particularly with regard to today’s increasing reliance on digital technology, which seems to get in the way of an authentic experience. 

 ‘My ambition is just to make you a little more aware than you were the day before of how beautiful the world is.’ Bob Irwin