My recent work explores various themes. In my figurative work I am drawn to the ‘otherness’ of circuses, performers and folklore, and can be fascinated by the way the disposition of figures creates a story in the mind of the viewer, which possibly comes from my training as an illustrator.

Birds began to appear alongside performers, and have now become a subject in themselves, as their colours, shapes and textures are lovely to paint. There is also something knowing about birds. Landscape painting allows me to explore expressive and gestural mark-making, which I hope I can then bring back to my other work.

My themes are quite traditional, and I tend to work quickly in an “alla prima” fashion, using a limited colour palette. Hopefully this gives a certain spontaneity to the work. I strongly believe that the paint should be part of the painting, and that the marks themselves should add to the image.