Making a beginning
Gesso and instinctive marks open the surface. Charcoal, ink and experiments with leaves, branches and rubber tubing can interrupt familiar habits.
Inside the practice
Letting the
painting lead.
Working with what appears, rather than a predetermined outcome.
View works in progress & studies
The studio is a place to look, make a mark, step back and listen.
I work across several pieces at once. Gesso, charcoal, ink, acrylic, oil and oil stick give each surface a different kind of presence. Some passages are built up; others are scraped, rubbed back or softened beneath a veil.
Earlier marks remain part of the painting, even when they are obscured. They might reappear unexpectedly, become a faint trace, or change how the next layer behaves.
Resting a piece is part of making it. Time away gives me a different view of what the painting is asking for, and whether it needs another pass at all.
Building and revealing
Colour is added, obscured and rediscovered. Translucent veils let earlier passages remain present, while stronger gestures can change the direction of a work.
Making room for time
Looking, journalling and pausing are part of my studio rhythm. The next move can arrive after a period of quiet attention.
Light / another presence
What appears
in darkness?
Experiments with photoluminescent materials extend my interest in light and transformation. This work in progress explores photoluminescent pigment and epoxy: one surface, seen in daylight and under night lighting.
Photoluminescent study · daylight view
Learning through making
Mixed-media explorations
Explorations in layering, texture and mark-making from mixed-media study.
