My signature work work consists of vibrant, bold colours with strong architectural shapes and patterns. I take my inspiration from my travels and the urban shoreline; weathered surfaces, decorative motifs and lettering, and more recently boats and shipyards. Increasingly, there is a strong abstract element, but there remains recognisable parts that draw the viewer in: the hook of a crane, the bow of a boat, the profile of a mast, all of which plays on the viewer’s imagination.

Born in Yorkshire, I attended art college in Bradford then headed south to far sunnier countries, where I spent the next ten years travelling and working overseas. I am a collector, traveller, observer, an adventurer. My sketchbook is my best travel companion and recently I have returned to drawing and mark making more and more. During lockdown I worked from the allotments and flowers in my own garden.

In a new situation I am alert to the feel, shape, movement and life of the subject. Back in my studio I recompose, build up, conceal and reveal, deliberately avoiding representational clarity to create vibrant compositions, never knowing how the piece will develop. Collage and acrylic are so versatile and immediate, I love the spontaneity of the ripped and cut line and the ‘history’ of a piece of abandoned paper combined and layered with juicy paint. It is a controlled yet intuitive development that allows me a huge amount of freedom to interpret my sketches in a bold and original way.

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