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Artist's
Statement:
My work
concerns the landscape and the evocative nature of the world we live in.
I do not depict the real landscapes of our world – but the imaginary
ones, the ones we travel to in our wildest and scariest dreams.
In my work the landscape is used as a metaphor for an ever-changing and
unpredictable world. I want the viewer to be enchanted and absorbed by
my paintings, as if they were caught up in the moment of a tumultuous
storm or sublime dream.
Absolutely central to the landscape and my work, is the horizon line,
which both divides and separates the land from sky. There is irony here
- as the horizon line, is in a sense an imaginary line, one that is always
seen in the distance and never quite reached by the viewer.
The light at the end of the horizon line; guiding the viewer in, is also
a very important element to my work. The light is a guiding force, which
draws the viewer into the landscape and shows a possible escape route
and path through the chaos.
My paintings are often set in a square format, to give the impression
of a tunnel, where the horizon line cuts through the square and makes
the landscape more obvious. With this tunnelling effect and light at the
end of the tunnel; my work can have connotations towards the theme of
life and death. However it is not meant to be pessimistic, I like to think
of my paintings showing optimism and hope through the guiding light, not
death.
The viewer is perched on the edge of this sublime world, looking out at
the vast journey ahead, and it is up to the viewer to perceive how the
line throughout life is drawn out.
The landscape and indeed the world is a strange, beautiful and destructive
place to be, it is a place you can feel both alone in and at one with.
There is a need for my paintings to relate back to the landscape, because
it is something we can all connect with – we all have a relationship
with the things that are real in our life.
My paintings seek to transport you to somewhere imagined and sublime,
but at the same time remind you of a dream or hope you once had, or indeed
a path you intend to follow in the future.
Teaching:
I am
extememely passionate about getting all young people to enjoy art and
enjoy making art. I am most certainly not a beleiver in the commonly heard
classroom phrase, 'I can't draw!".
I am
a qualified Secondary Art teacher, and hold a PGCE qualification in Secondary
Art and Design (2009) from Bath Spa University. As part of my teaching
expereience I have been invovled in many creative workshops with both
Primary and Secondary school students, and beleive that a big part of
being a creative practitioner, also involves sharing knowledge and ideas
with others, especially young people.
I am
ideally placed to hold specialist oil painting and 2D painting workshops,
but I also enjoy delivering larger, more experimental 3D and sculpture
based workshops. Another big passion of mine, is creating murals in public
spaces, and within schools, something that I very much enjoyed being involved
in as a primary school student myself.
If you
are interested in running a workshop in a school or community arts centre
and would like me to asist you, please contact
me with your requirements and ideas. I can then discuss the brief
with you and put together an outline of costs and materials, as this would
vary with each proposal.
 
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