Artist Statement
My creative works vary from acrylic and watercolour paintings depicting landscapes and cityscapes, to detailed biro drawings. Architecture, people and vehicles are inevitably common features amongst my works. Photography is an incremental factor within the makings of my pieces, and is often the catalyst behind many creations. The relationship between painting and photography has been an on going investigation through out my years of creating artwork.
Having the privilege of experiencing many adventures around the world; photographic documentation is my answer to restoring and proving memories. Ranging from staged to candid shots, I use the photographs as a base to begin my works . The exhibition Bosnia 1993 was the first in which I have used photographs taken by somebody else, from a place I have not visited. I was challenged to find an understanding of the environment, credible enough to create work in response.
Using my paintings as a form of hallucination, regarding revisiting memories, it is essential I portray them as close to their reality as possible. This is heightened while producing war art due to its sensitivity. Emphasising colour and technique in exchange for missing surroundings where necessary, as an artist I have the ability to interpret the environments how I feel is relatable. Within Bosnia 1993 in particular, I challenge the capability and potential effects blank space has on a landscape. Playing with the notion 'Revealing and Concealing' I set out to explore how painting can recover/make up for lost vision.