about
London-born, I have lived in Surrey since the age of four.
After a twenty-two year career in catering managing the family’s small group of Italian-style cafes, I returned to my childhood passion, … art.
I have always loved to draw and paint. While in catering my spare time was scarce (and output was modest in the painting department) though I continued to fill up sketch-books. I did however manage to combine business and passion, in food photography. During my degree, my work was a combination of photographic images (film not digital) and silk screen printing, and as a competent photographer I made all my own advertising food images for the cafes and also worked as a freelance food photographer for others. In my previous home I built a dark room for developing both colour and black & white work.
Some twenty years on, my artistic interests have changed. Then I was inspired by Warhol & Rauschenberg. Now its Jack Morrocco, Rubens, Titian, Boldini, Sargent and most of all, Sorolla. Its all about oil now, not ink. I enjoy painting still-life arrangements, landscapes and portraits. As my work has progressed my attention to detail has also developed, I pay particular attention to lighting. I like to create deep shadows full of interest and bright highlights. Light and its effect on form is my inspiration.
The technique I use for my still-life paintings is based on the Venetian method of painting. I start with a dark ground colour; I then sketch out my arrangement with white chalk and strengthen this with white paint producing an under-painting. Then begins the over-painting: layer upon layer of very thin glazes, sometimes up to fourteen layers to achieve the desired tone. Lastly, thick buttery impasto. For my landscape and portraits I apply my colour directly to the canvas. I use The paints I use are Winsor & Newton artists grade oil paints.
I spend on average one or two days just arranging my still-life and approximately thirty hours making an under painting. Then starts the over painting which takes a further thirty-five to forty-five hours.
Each of my large still-life works involves between seventy and eighty-five hours of sketching and painting.
Education
1989 - 1991 Central Saint Martins School of Art, Fine Art Print Making Degree
1987 - 1989 Epsom School of Art & Design, Fine Art Foundation
After a twenty-two year career in catering managing the family’s small group of Italian-style cafes, I returned to my childhood passion, … art.
I have always loved to draw and paint. While in catering my spare time was scarce (and output was modest in the painting department) though I continued to fill up sketch-books. I did however manage to combine business and passion, in food photography. During my degree, my work was a combination of photographic images (film not digital) and silk screen printing, and as a competent photographer I made all my own advertising food images for the cafes and also worked as a freelance food photographer for others. In my previous home I built a dark room for developing both colour and black & white work.
Some twenty years on, my artistic interests have changed. Then I was inspired by Warhol & Rauschenberg. Now its Jack Morrocco, Rubens, Titian, Boldini, Sargent and most of all, Sorolla. Its all about oil now, not ink. I enjoy painting still-life arrangements, landscapes and portraits. As my work has progressed my attention to detail has also developed, I pay particular attention to lighting. I like to create deep shadows full of interest and bright highlights. Light and its effect on form is my inspiration.
The technique I use for my still-life paintings is based on the Venetian method of painting. I start with a dark ground colour; I then sketch out my arrangement with white chalk and strengthen this with white paint producing an under-painting. Then begins the over-painting: layer upon layer of very thin glazes, sometimes up to fourteen layers to achieve the desired tone. Lastly, thick buttery impasto. For my landscape and portraits I apply my colour directly to the canvas. I use The paints I use are Winsor & Newton artists grade oil paints.
I spend on average one or two days just arranging my still-life and approximately thirty hours making an under painting. Then starts the over painting which takes a further thirty-five to forty-five hours.
Each of my large still-life works involves between seventy and eighty-five hours of sketching and painting.
Education
1989 - 1991 Central Saint Martins School of Art, Fine Art Print Making Degree
1987 - 1989 Epsom School of Art & Design, Fine Art Foundation