I am an artist living in Hertfordshire and I paint using oils on canvas. Although I prefer to paint to a larger scale, I often make paintings to a more domestic size, for reasons of practicality. Having gained a degree in Fine Art from Newcastle University, I retain links with the North of England, as well as London and its surroundings. When my children became older I returned to painting, and I exhibit my work as much as possible. During the past year I've shown my work at Cupola Gallery, Sheffield and I participated in the Summer Show at D31 Gallery. At present I'm taking part in the Teesside Contemporary Printmaking Prize and "A Slash of Blue" at Gerald Moore Gallery South London.
I make paintings that depict landscapes of an expansive, man-made world. I'm not sure which I find more exciting - the abstract constructions around us, or the figures that inhabit them. It's the relationship between the person and the structure that makes the image come alive. I am interested in the massive structures of architecture and machinery around us, and the way man relates to them.
Amongst these domineering structures, human figures negotiate their everyday lives. They are part of the scene rather than the focus of it. Sometimes they are purposefully vulnerable. Mostly, they are purposefully insignificant. My protagonists can be down-at-heel, but I hope their presence transcends into something more significant. The people in my images are sometimes waiting to move on. I hope they can share that moment of contemplation with the viewer.
My paintings reference a painting tradition of depicting people living and working in the town and its suburbs. The ambivalence of this relationship between the city and her inhabitants seems as relevant as ever. The still image, be it through painting or photography can capture this instant, giving weight to a moment and sense of place.
I keep returning to certain scenes in my work - fountains, building sites, places of work, allotments and travel hubs. For me, these are place of transition, alluding to the life-long journey and the destination that is always just out of sight.