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My ancestors were Welsh seafarers, captains of the deep ocean barques. I think this must be where my wanderlust has its roots, as well as my lifelong quest to understand and explain the forces of nature which shape our world.

Some of my work (the ‘Wind’ paintings for example) is purely abstract, recalling the feeling of a place or a condition and employing medium and technique to express it.Other work begins with photography and watercolour, setting out throughout the seasons and at all times of day to establish the varying, essential elements which contribute to the spirit of place. The paintings work with the observed colours, structures and compositions to capture the emotional and poetic nature of locations.

While the subjects may be place-specific the message about the natural world and our position in it is universal, and I hope the paintings can be interpreted at many scales and through the lens of any viewer's individual landscape memory. Most are specifically chosen fragments of a landscape, each telling a much bigger tale.

 

The works are painted in acrylic (mainly on paper) and in watercolour. Acrylic is used in both fluid and heavy body form, and a combination of techniques is used. Two series, ‘Snowdonia’ and ‘Pacific’ are featured on the website at present.

 

      1962-1980: Born in Scotland, then moved to North Wales

      Around age 15: Taught watercolour technique and analogue SLR photography

      1980-1986: The Welsh School of Architecture. BSc (Hons) BArch (Dist) - drawing (technical and freehand), design, graphics, colour theory, proportion, composition, representation

      1986-2008: Living, painting and working in Hong Kong, China, Germany, USA, UK. Extensive travel in Asia and elsewhere

      2006-2008: Art Academy of San Diego. Part time class in painting (oil), instructor Stuart Burton

      2008-2015: Principal Lecturer, Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries, University of Portsmouth School of Architecture. Teaching design, representation, sustainability at undergraduate and postgraduate

      2012-2015: Author of two books on low-impact and sustainable architecture, hand-illustrated, published by RIBA Publishing

      2015- : Full time painter.

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