‘Being Here’ Series 

 

My work has been concerned with recording a response to my many travels abroad. Colour and the fragmentation of form (be it natural or man made) are my initial visual stimuli. 

Therefore, the starting point with all my paintings is always representational. 

Through continual layering and removal of paint I seek to achieve an image and surface which has evolved through a personal journey. Ultimately, I hope this equates to the original subject matter. 

I use structural or architectural forms to ‘construct’ my paintings. Lines drawn or scratched into the paint surface not only relate to the composition but can also suggest an historical reference. The patina or burnished effect of the final layer is an integral part of the resulting image. 

My move to Cornwall four years ago has lessened my desire to travel abroad – for now. My appetite is satiated by the overwhelming visual qualities I perceive in Cornwall. I belong to the north east of Scotland. Here too, rugged coastlines are peppered with what were small coastal fishing communities. I grew up in the ‘northern light’ where I witnessed the ever present evidence of man’s relationship with the sea. 

So seductive, nostalgic and emotional are my responses to this area of Cornwall that I have to retreat to a more intimate contemplative working space to reflect and distil my experiences. 

The challenge for me now is to create work which has a harmony of colour, space, form and surface, which relates to ‘Being Here’.