April and May have been a great two months that have given me some great opportunities. I started with the Tactile Bosch exhibition in March and more recently I auctioned a portrait commission in aid of Saint Anne’s Hospice at the Celtic Manor Hotel and Resort that in a few years will be hosting the Ryder cup!

The auction in the Celtic Manor was quite a bash. It was the brainchild of Miguel Santiago (of the Priory, Caerleon) and Dylan Mathews (of the Celtic Manor) and was organized by the great fundraising team at Saint Anne’s Hospice. Also auctioned on the night were a Hernia operation, helicopter flight over Gwent and a motorcycle and sidecar! Next up for me is an arts trail in Southville, Bristol which was organized by Lucy Toop (a fantastic landscape painter) that will include many other artists. It is being held in the old fishmongers that sits between Allington Rd and Osborne Rd on the weekend of the 12th and 13th May. There will be a band and D.J. in the evening and it promises to be a cracking little exhibition

Another busy period has seen the fruiton of another portrait on canvas view it with my other work here

I have recently completed a new portrait of a good friend tony. It can be viewed along with my other artwork here

Above is my portrait "Emily" hanging in situ at the "Tactile Bosch Gallery" Llandaff, Cardiff. The Exhibition opens Friday 30th March and I will be showcasing 5 paintings and will be running for three weeks. If you attend the exhibition, I would love your feedback

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.

Recently added to the paintings gallery is a portrait of my very good friend Leon West