As a figurative painter I am concerned with noticing, observing and trying to represent the world around me. This sounds simple enough but I have found that there is nothing easy about confronting reality.  It is an exciting and compelling challenge.  As I set about selecting and interpreting, I look for underlying structure and harmony.  

  Drawing is integral to my paintings and is something that I enjoy for its own sake.  I like the way the sustained concentration and observation it requires stills the mind.  It feels like prayer or meditation.

 The limitless potential in the simplest of materials is inspiring. I carry sketchbooks and notebooks everywhere and draw anything that strikes me as interesting, or even outstandingly ordinary.  

 Drawing animals presents a special challenge and tend to work on a few drawings at once.  Trying to catch their lines and curves is an endless challenge.    

  Natural objects nearly always get included in my still lifes and their proportions and angles seem to offer clues about truth and beauty. The most mundane, everyday objects can suggest poetic or dramatic associations.

 I find the whole thing incredibly life-enhancing.  Not only does painting and drawing tune up your perceptions, but you have something to show for all the effort. 

 Illustration is new to me and has begun to illuminate the mysterious workings of the imagination fuelled by drawing from the natural world. It has its own challenges but in many ways is just as personal.

 Equally fascinating has been a foray into design where drawing from life edges into a strong sense of pattern and shape.  As works on paper they suggested a range of greetings cards and prints.    

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