Padley Gorge

Click below to buy a print of the original - prices from £22

When creating a painting or drawing I have carried out many sketches in order to get to that painting or drawing. When you see the final painting or final drawing that’s not all that’s been going on, there are layers underneath what you see as the top layer and all sorts of experiments that have been carried out including revisiting work that I’ve done previously, sometimes work from years and years ago. As an artist I carry around tons of visual information in my head and use this for sketches and experiments with techniques and media.

In my drawings of trees, the process begins with a careful selection of the trees and their parts then how I will organise and arrange them with each other. Given the intricate nature and number of branches, printmaking becomes a vital tool in both the decision making process as well as creating additional work in a series. Printmaking allows me to generate multiple images of the same subject, on which I can then draw, paint and experiment with colour. Often I will print again over images, continuously exploring new possibilities. My tree collection has involved extensive printmaking, revisiting and reworking past pieces and integrating different colours through hand painting, drawing and additional printing.
My recent work particularly benefits from this ongoing exploration of colour and technique, building upon the foundation laid by past projects.