STATEMENT
I make larger than life size portraits, in coloured ink wash, When I paint my challenge is to find ways of expressing emotion in faces, working out the tiny adjustments in shape and colour that make the face tell some kind of story. I work mainly with ink. I enjoy the permanence of inks. The first brushstroke is always bright and definite, it can’t be ignored, the rest of the marks have to harmonise or create discord, constant alterations have to be made, layering and washing out of colour work together to build the painting. The faces are members of my family, my friends and some people from inside my head.
I paint landscapes from sketches and photographs mostly of places close to my home in Fife, My on-site sketches vary in detail and I spend time exploring ways to develop the image true to the sketch and my memory of the site. I use photographs to prompt colour, tone and weather.
On a smaller scale I work with many different media I recently got back to working with oil paint. I draw with coloured pencil, charcoal, pastel and biro and biro mixing media, making lovely messes and finding lovely, unexpected ways of working.
I love drawing, it completely consumes my attention taking me away from everything else. I teach drawing to a couple of adult classes which is a real joy. I think everyone should draw.