"Overthelast5-10years,ithasallbeenoneproject, justdifferentelementstoit.Thoughtsandideasbleed intoone,itbecomesanaturalprogression.Inevergo about planning for one distinct goal, it’s all evolutionary."
Tell us about yourself and background. I started painting and sculpting quiteyoung,beingimprisonedina cold draughty English boarding school, my one means of escape was to spend my evenings in the artblock,Iwasquiteprolific,doing everything; photography, ceramics, painting, sculpture. Anything to avoid the tyranny of the boarding house.Iusedtospendhoursthere. Myfatherworkedintheoilindustry so I was fortunate to travel the world as a kid, so I got to experience all sorts of different culture, and at that age you just soakupinformation.AfterschoolI managed to argue my way out of aplaceatTheSlade,butdidn’tlet thatstopme.I’vebeenworkingon my painting eversince. Tell us about your work. Myworkisintwoandahalf distinctstyles.Afigurative approach,anabstractlineandI’m now embarking on a 3D painting escapadethatisinitsinfancy,but havingshownittoafewpeoplein the know, the response has been favourable. The different styles feed of each other, and you can see the lineage through all the work. There’s a constant fight between geometric structure and free flowing organic application of paint. It has elements of cubism, an underlying hint of abstract expressionism all held together with a dashsurrealism. What makes your work and approach unique? Thereisanelementofscienceto my work, the base structure adherestotheprincipalsofthe Golden Section/Ratio while elementsoftheLawsofVibration make up the remaining philosophy. They are two elements that the brainresonatewith.Colourisalso massively important and colour theory was fundamental in my art education. It is key to making a bodyofworkharmonise,letalone individual paintings. Once you have the basis of the painting down,that’swhenyoucanstartto break the rules, working into the painting over and over, letting it evolve naturally. It becomes an interesting juxtaposition between the control of the geometric shapesandtheevolutionofideas.
Why is your work a good investment. OverthelastfewyearsI’vewontheAmericanart Awardsonanumberofoccasions,it’svotedforby the top 25 U.S. galleries, so they must see somethinginmywork.I’mrepresentedbyagallery in New York of the back of it. I also represented BritainattheFlorenceBiennale,andhaveshownin Florenceafterthat.I’vealsoshownatanumberof other galleries in Europe. Hopefully I’m building a decent following. With the new 3D pieces I’m making I think I’m on to something really original, and a number of art professionals I’ve shown the prototypestohaveagreed.Andfindingsomething trulyoriginalisararityintheartworld.Ijustneed to produce morenow. Tell us about some of your achievements. Having exhibited across Europe and the US, I’m happy to announce that I have some very well-travelled paintings, I just wish that I could havefollowedthemaroundmyself.Beingshownby the Opera Gallery in two different countries was amazing, representing Britain at the Florence Biennaleandmeetinganddiscussingmyworkwith TimMarlowwasarevelation,butjustbeinginthe position to sell my work to people and receiving theirfeedback,andhowmypaintingeffectsthem emotionally is unbelievable. You never quite believeit’shappening.It’sallratherhumbling. What are your sourcesofinspiration? Inspirationcomesfromeverywhere,asanartistyou studyeverything,beithowotherartistapplypaint to the way shadows work in the trees or how the sun works on the clouds. But there are obvious references to cubism in my work. As a kid I also spent a long time looking at sculpture, and I think this can be seen in all my work, even the more abstract stuff, I think it’s important that you can imagineyourselfwalkingthroughthecanvases.
What are you passionate about? Away from painting I also have a love of photography,butagainkeepingitasabstractas possible, it’s amazing the shapes and textures thatareallaroundus,it’sjustadifferentwayof seeingthem.Nexttothatthestateoftheplanet isagreatconcerntome,aswithsomanyofus. I avoid anything with palm oil in it in respect to theplightoftheorangutans,Ilovethemajestyof elephants, and fear for their survival, in both caseshere,youlookintotheireyesandseesuch amazing beauty and understanding. I can't believe people can go about killing them for pleasure.Butthenagainwe’rehappytokilleach other on a whim so it’s hardly surprising. I also avoidplasticwhereverpossible,peoplesay,ohits onlyonestraworonebottle,butwhenit’seight billionpeoplesayingthatitsquitealotofcrapthrown out. If we all make little changes, big things can happen. Other than that, good food, fine wine and greatcompanyareessentialelementstosurvivingthe quite solitary life of apainter. Tell us the back-story of some of your projects. Overthelast5-10years,ithasallbeenoneproject, justdifferentelementstoit.Thoughtsandideasbleed intoone,itbecomesanaturalprogression.Inevergo about planning for one distinct goal, it’s all evolutionary, and I’ve been lucky that along this journeyI’vebeenselectedtoshowmyworkathome andabroad. Tell us about some of your achievements. I’m currently going off on a slight tangent to the abstractworkI’vebeendoing,thepaintingwillconsist of an underlying photorealistic image, but then a freneticabstractoutburstwilldominatethecanvas. In the preliminary paintings they almost look vandalised. It’s an interesting way to continue the themeofcontrolanddisorderfoundinmyotherwork. With more space and time, the continuing development of the 3D paintings is revealing some exciting results, new materials and experimentation driving the processforward. Tell us about where you are based. I live and work on the banks of the mighty Thames. Far enough away from London to allow me to concentrate,whilebeingnearenoughtoenjoyallthe fruits the Big Smoke can provide when it takes my fancy.Wehavealovely,eclecticbunchofneighbours here,rubbingshoulderswiththeClooneys,JimmyPage andUriGellertheremustbesomethingcreativeinthe waterroundhere.Ourlocalexhibitionsoftenseethem payingavisit,andmylastshowinthevillagegaveme theopportunitytochatwithPMTheresaMayandher husbandaboutthemeritsofabstractart.