Marks and symbols form an idiosyncratic vocabulary that is unique to me. My language expands and evolves as I become a better artist.

Representing time in abstract visual language is a problem I confront again and again in my abstract landscape work. How can the concept of time be captured in abstract painting?

“When you become and artist later in life, you draw on a huge resource of experience, confidence and self-knowledge. You Develop a clear voice and style quickly and more surely”.

Look closely and you’ll find footpaths carving through many of my paintings.  The abstract landscapes I paint are largely imagined; but the remembered hikes and walks I’ve taken all over the planet are also present.

In a series, paintings play leapfrog with each other, moving ahead and falling back in an asynchronous dance, until one by one they’re finished. This interplay between individual pieces and the ability to have one help the others along is the very best reason I know for painting in a series.

When we’ve seen something again and again, it becomes so familiar that we start to glaze over. What you desperately need is to see your work with fresh eyes. And fortunately, there are a multitude of ways to get that “first time” feeling with your now-so-familiar painting.

I work more slowly in the middle stage. Playfulness alternates with watchfulness. I am now more aware of questions of composition, design and colour. And there are LONG periods of looking!

Beginning! In the span of a painting’s creation, this is when I have the greatest opportunity to play freely, to experiment, to be reckless if that’s the mood I’m in. This is when there’s the highest likelihood of discovering something new in my work. This is when magic sometimes happens.

Working in a series is a powerful tool for learning and maintaining forward momentum. Here’s why I do It!

I’ve been geeking out this week with the help of the exercises in this wonderful book! Covering a diversity of topics - colour value, temperature, saturation, colour harmony, and colour psychology are a few ..

Whether you’re an artist or an art enthusiast, these books are bound to get you excited for the coming year!