I am a Wellington artist with a main focus on figurative painting. This subject I find the most exciting and challenging.
In my work I attempt to create a lively sense of the form of the figure. I use composition to bring focus to the volume and presence of the figure, filling the frame, to encourage a perspective that invites the viewer to engage with the fleshy forms before them. I like to create strong brush strokes that break up the surface, transforming the simplicity of smooth graduations to a more vigorous complexity that moves them beyond a straightforward imitation. This, for me, is where the challenge lies, to take the figurative form and to be able to represent it in a more multi-dimensional way without losing its personal and human qualities and relationships between the subjects and viewer. In some works I aim to create an almost voyeuristic glimpse in the way the compositions isolate parts of the figure, which can create a tension and mystery, tickling our personal sense of boundary and intrigue.
I work predominately in oil paint on wood panel, as this surface allows me to apply and manipulate the paint in a more fluid way, encouraging a more raw response.