Artist Statement

My Open Studio exhibition, The Joy of Colour and Shape, on display in Hathersage Parish Church, will give me additional space to show the wide variety of creative approaches that I enjoy exploring to interpret landscape, still life, and my visual delight in colour and shape. I lean heavily towards abstract qualities, inspired by artists like Ben Nicholson, Nicholas de Stael, Mark Rothko and Sean Scully.
I have a strong sense of visual composition and pattern-making and work almost solely in the studio, though the outside world feeds my creative process through taking photographs or just enjoying what I see, especially harbours, fences, walls, entrances, old buildings, and landscape. Then, stimulated, visual exploring in the studio takes over, sometimes working on several pieces of art work at a time, possibly with collage as a basis. Some of my approaches developed through attending courses at St Ives School of Painting over many years, and enjoying the artists associated with St Ives, such as Terry Frost and Sandra Blow.
I usually paint in acrylics, combined with some collage and textural elements, and very occasionally use oils. When printmaking, I use collagraph method to create the print blocks which I then put through a table top press. I have also experimented with mono and relief printmaking. I usually print using a four colour process, with some masking, which can create a considerable variety of outcomes.
Being a retired, and still active, Anglican priest, I find creative artwork deeply renewing, as well as a struggle at times, a way of seeing, contemplating, being prayerful, thankful, and experiencing joy.
My studio is in a converted garage behind my home on the Main Road, Grindleford, in the Hope Valley S32 2HG. Visitors are welcome by appointment: 01433 630641 or [email protected]