Light & Life is an exhibition of work that reflects my absolute love for
painting. The work that you see over the pages of this catalogue will,
I hope, lift your spirits and take you on a journey through sun-drenched
Piazzas in Venice to quiet, snow dusted fields. Throughout my career, light
has been my fascination and obsession. I am constantly exploring the
possibilities of paint to capture light effects on canvas. It is the light effect
on a landscape, or a model, that excites me. It drives me to pick up my
brushes to express the feeling that I have when seeing this arrangement of
tones, and I hope will open people’s eyes to that too. Whether painting a
portrait or outside en plein air, my classical training in Florence gave me
the skills and desire to paint solely from nature and in natural light.
I am particularly drawn to light on water, whether that be the River Thames
or the English Channel. As a child, I spent the holidays on my dad’s sailing
boat in Cornwall and we used to sail and camp on the boat whatever the
weather. I remember feeling inspired by the ever-changing light, and now,
I love setting up on the beach, no matter what the weather, and capturing
my impressions in oil paint, exaggerating contrasts or diminishing them
to capture the mood. At the age of 18, my granny introduced me to a man
who would prove to be one of my main influencers and has guided me and
been a mentor in my early years as a painter. I would like to thank Ken
Howard RA for his generous knowledge and words of wisdom; I have been
incredibly fortunate to have this master painter as a teacher during my
young years and his words have remained with me and will do throughout
my life as a painter.
