About Myself

I was given a big name, and was expected to be a doctor or judge. Unfortunately after playing truant for the majority of my secondary education in Tooting, South London, I left home and stumbled for three years through some very random jobs, a trend that has changed very little. I continued aimlessly until I made the decision to return home to South Wales so that I could attend Howard Gardens college of Art in Cardiff. Being true to my nature, I also failed my art degree which in itself an achievement without precedent, and I have since kept up my love for painting in what spare time I can find. It has always been my sole intention to pursue painting as my career. Whenever I can I love to travel and seek out the galleries of both the U.K. and Europe.

I recently visited galleries in Antwerp, Amsterdam and Köln. During my trip I was advised to visit a museum in the Neanderthal valley near Düsseldorf within which I found a small display of artworks dating as far back as 20,000 years ago. It was there that I discovered artworks that to my mind contained an outstanding validity, displayed by the most basic emotions of man. For me this is a guiding light through the mass of art that happened there on after. I feel painting is a simple form of communication, a way of asking and answering questions. An empathetic awareness of nature and emotion manifest, like a set of mirrors looking in and out of the artist. I am always looking deep into the subject, especially with a clear mind, believing that, in the absence of trend or deception, my mind will take me to the core of my subject. Instead of looking for what can set me aside from others, I choose to immerse myself in the actual paint, believing that my formula and composition will guide me technically through the process. Whilst controlling the layers in the paint, I find depths of feeling and sight into my subject that are not usually apparent at first impression. But somewhere in the depths of the psyche there are emotions and social tactics evolving, revealing secrets of what exists subconsciously between one person and another.

The first part of my painting is a learning process for both the subject and myself. As we settle in to our working relationship, I feel it is never easy to be looked at or indeed to look at another. Preferring a pale backdrop with neutral light I avoid any clutter within the composition, so that I may concentrate solely on my subjects, looking all the time for their reactions to me, the expressions that cross their face, the fine idiosyncrasies of their face and the things that make them who they are. I will then look for the distribution of space around my subject and look for ways to draw the eye of the observer into the image. When my formula is set into motion I am then able to concentrate on the painting.