Paintings

I paint in oils, watercolours and acrylics. The oils range in size from very small to large-scale panels. I love the feeling of a brush going across a surface and even get excited about priming a board. The oils are usually made in the studio from drawings, photos and memory, although I do sometimes work on the spot. Acrylics and watercolours I find better for painting out in the open.

I sometimes receive portrait commissions, and love the challenge of achieving a likeness. This extends to self-portraiture. Interiors I have been attracted to as a subject ever since seeing Gwen John's painting, 'A Corner of the Artist's Room in Paris'. These are my smallest paintings – I think the reduced scale adds to the intimate feel. Gardens are another lifelong obsession: from my neighbours' gardens in Kirkton to the formal gardens of Sissinghurst. No matter the subject, the act of painting is what's important and I am constantly learning more and more.