My interest in painting germinated in the landscape and architecture of Yemen, particlerly in the capital Sana’a - 14 years of my career in telecommunications was spent living in the Middle East and Far East. I began painting by teaching myself from books and the internet using photographs I’d taken. Then, in 2014 I was able to attend a course with David Sawyer at his studio in the foothills of the French Pyrenees and was introduced to painting “en plein air”. David has given me guidance and tuition to date.
I am also studying portrait painting, using the traditional sight size method with Jason Tremlett at his Atelier in Lewes. I began portraiture in 2014 with Camilla Canon in her New school of Art, and attended weekend masterclasses she arranges with well known artists. This led in 2015 to weekly portrait classes with Nicola Maxwell Gumbleton at the St Andrews Place Art School in Lewes which I attended for three ears. A lifelong friend, the sculptor Anthony Hawken, has also provided invaluable advice during my time painting.
My particular interests are in painting portraits from life and of outside scenes, often with figures to develop the narrative. Some outside paintings are finished in the studio and some larger paintings are based on drawings, notes, photos and videos I have taken. An example is where I have used video to capture the intensity of flamenco in the bars of Jerez as a basis for my paintings on the subject during 2017.