Artist Statement:
"I am a figurative artist who strives to invigorate narrative realism utilising the rich tapestry of storytelling in poetic myth.
Picturemaking is an extraordinary experience. I find the process both
a journey away from the restless, roaring world, and also from the jumble of self consciousness. In this respect, the act is akin to a dream state where one engages fully and in so doing identity is forgotten for a time.
I am often asked where the landscapes are that I portray, or who the characters are in my figurative work. Nearly all of them are imaginary. I have spent nearly 20 years living rurally in both the North of Scotland and now in the Peak District of Derbyshire. This has clearly influenced the form of my theatres of landscape. However, I rarely show any signs of habitation in the compositions, and in that regard landscape becomes mythic in nature.
My figurative works revolve around the themes of adventure and questing. My characters embark upon paths and trackways, discovering clues along the way, giving answer to their personal yearning. Their challenges are sometimes ominous or some unforseen threshold is crossed with unexpected results. This is all recorded by the audience who play the part of expedition photographer, making snapshots and analysis.
We perceive that storytelling underpins some of our earliest experiences, and pictorial narratives have ancient origins from temple walls to Tarot cards. This is an intriguing arena to tap into, and it may be that poetic myth and cultural folklore has such a complex weave and is so embedded in the psyche that we are drawn to the sense of mystery. Some themes have stayed with me for a very long time and through a seeming process of refinement this ephemeral quality becomes clearer. So l see a compelling future for my art."
