About

About me

I am an abstract painter and visionary poet. I have a a passion for abstraction in painting and a fascination with the ineffable in writing.

Painting for me is a process or dialogue in which I am discovering what a painting can be.

More about my Art

I have had a lifelong interest in the arts. But I never started painting until my early 20s. At first I studied the traditional representative techniques but when I was introduced to abstract painting by one of my tutors I was hooked. My artistic development took a turn in a new direction. I read widely and studied reproductions of great abstract works. I wanted to understand why they were good. At first they were so elusive – I knew something special was going on in my visual cortex and that these pieces moved me and that I wanted to create my own abstractions too. It must have been so exciting to be there when modernism exploded on the scene. Everything was new – artists were discovering new ways of making art; they were extending the possibilities for everyone that followed. That is what I am exploring in my art – the language of abstraction – and I am trying to make my own breakthroughs.

There are so many ways to paint an abstraction. From pure expressive colour and mark making to stark black and white geometric shapes. What a painting makes us feel is key. But there is more. A painting can give us an experience of transcendence. It can transform our vision – how we see the world – a larger world. The great abstract painters were/are visionaries.

I am also interested in the idea of a painting being a meditation in itself. Through balance and harmony we enter the realm of the higher emotions. I am trying to create something that uplifts you and enriches you in much the same way as being in a beautiful landscape watching nature as the sun sets would. Just in a different way. It’s all about beauty

An understanding of visual perception and how the elements of a painting operate are also keys that unlock abstractions.

I am a journeyman painter who aspires to be a master. I have been influenced by many other artists. Some of my favourites are: Piet Mondrian, Kazimir Malevich, Joan Miro, Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Peter Adsett, Pablo Picasso.

Poetic background

I am an experienced self taught writer. While I have read widely I have not engaged in academic study. I do not think my writing suffers for this. I do not generally enjoy academic, intellectual styles anyway. If a poem requires its reader to possess a PhD in English Literature in order to be understood then I think it is missing the mark. I am a visionary, mystical poet. I believe my poetry is accessible to ordinary people. I hope it is relevant to you.

I have been influenced greatly by many poets. Some of my favourites are: Mary Oliver, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson, William Butler Yeats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas.

What I do

painting

I work exclusively in abstract pieces but I'm happy to discuss your requirements for a commissioned work (e.g. if there are particular colours you'd like me to work with we can discuss that.)

poetry

I am open to all creative possibilities in writing. If you are wanting a poem for a person, event or on a particular theme we can discuss that. In order to write anything of quality I would need to engage in your vision.