Biography
My greatest joy is to be outdoors, be it walking the Cornish coast along the Helford River and Falmouth, the Halkyn Mountain in North Wales, or swimming in Port Navas Creek - any month of the year! Immersion in the natural world is my inspiration and I try to recreate this beauty in my paintings. Much of my work focuses on seascapes and landscapes. I’m fascinated by geomorphology and how it determines the shape and form of the land, defining creeks and coves, the angles of rock formations, the undulations of heaths and moorlands, or mountain streams. I love the way the landscape alters during different times of the year, as the vegetation and variation of light can completely change a scene. Swimming in Port Navas Creek in March, I observe the curves of the hills rising from the shore line with a beautiful soft light behind, all of which are lost a few months later when the trees are in full leaf. But then, the oaks glow with greens and gold and there are glorious reflections in the calm water of Abraham’s Bosom and Budock Vean.
I am fascinated by skies; no two are the same. The variations in colour and cloud formation are a beauty on their own and I love to capture the atmosphere in the amazing reflections and the ever-changing moods of the water, the shifting textures of rocks and sands, or the dramatic effect of a mountain range in front of a crimson sky.
One of my favourite aspects of painting is experimenting with different lights—whether it’s the soft glow of dawn, vibrant colours of sunsets or the subtle shadows of dusk, when there is almost no colour at all. I continue to marvel how light can completely transform a scene.
I’m also passionate about painting trees, often exploring their intricate forms and the way they interact together and in their surroundings, especially with the dramatic shadows they make. Many of my paintings feature the Montereys from around the Helford or, in a completely different urban garden setting, the equally magnificent London Planes.
In addition to traditional painting techniques, I often incorporate mixed media and collage into my works, layering materials to bring depth and texture to the landscapes. The combination of these mediums allows me to create dynamic, textured pieces that reflect the beauty and complexity of the scenes I paint.
Every day spent outside is a joy, especially if I’m painting and I feel privileged to express some of the beauty of this wonderful world through my art.