Page 108 - Winter Issue
P. 108

The  Moon  often  serves  as  the  light  source  in  your  work,  casting  elongated  shadows  and  creating  a
             dreamlike atmosphere. What significance does the Moon hold for you, and how does it contribute to the
             overall mood of your pieces?
             The  Moon  is  universally  associated  with  the  night,  a  time  that  can  be  restful  and  serene  or  empty  and  unknown.
             Sometimes The Moon provides a soft, gentle glow but at other times it can be cold and harsh providing an intense light
             similar to the chiaroscuro of the works of Caravaggio or Rembrandt. As the only light source, all shadows fall away from
             The Moon. This helps to create tension in my work and a feeling of the unknown.
             How  do  you  approach  the  balance  between  dynamic,  movement-inspired  compositions  and  the
             tranquillity  of  your  sensitive  color  palette?  What  kind  of  tension  or  harmony  do  you  seek  to  create
             through this contrast?
             I favor blues in my work as the color sits nicely in the spectrum between energetic violets and calming greens. This allows
             me  to  create  "pockets"  of  stability  in  my  painting  which  relaxes  the  overall  aesthetic  and  prevents  my  dynamic
             compositions from becoming vortices of chaos.
             Charity and community seem important in your artistic practice, given your support of various causes
             through your work. How does your involvement with these causes influence your creative process or the
             themes you explore?
             Most of the charity events that I support showcase my work to a much broader audience than the usual gallery patrons.
             The expectations of a casual viewer of art compared to those of an aficionado are very different and this presents the
             challenge  of  how  to  engage  with  them  as  the  viewer.  The  result  is  that  my  work  expands  further  into  concepts  and
             techniques that I would not have previously considered.
             Your  use  of  extreme  perspective  creates  feelings  of  vertigo  and  movement.  How  do  you  technically
             achieve these effects, and what challenges do you face in maintaining that balance between motion and
             stillness?
             I am very aware of the golden ratio and the rule of thirds. With this in mind, I position vanishing points and the line of
             sight in such a way that the entire image feels "unstable". In my seascapes, this is hardly unexpected but in other scenes,
             this creates quite a sense of urgency and drama.
             Much of your art presents uninhabited, desolate scenes. How do these empty spaces reflect your personal
             experiences, and what do they say about the human presence—or lack thereof—in your work?

             Health  battles  are  fought  alone  and  there  are  many
             situations in life where we feel isolated. The lack of human
             presence is a way of exploring this notion while still keeping
             my  works  broad  enough  for  the  viewer  to  identify  with.
             Although  there  is  narrative  in  my  work  it  is  important  that
             the viewer can find their meaning in what they see.
             Looking back at your first solo exhibition in Salisbury,
             how  has  your  artistic  vision  evolved  over  time,
             particularly  in  relation  to  the  exploration  of  duality
             and the impact of your personal journey?
             Time has only enhanced my exploration of the concept. My
             illness, and subsequent sensory problems, have encouraged
             me to experiment more with textured mediums. This not only
             broadens the visual concept of duality (the texture and visual
             image  can  complement  or  contrast  each  other)  but  it  also
             widens  the  audience  as  art  that  can  be  touched  can  be
             "viewed"  by  those  with  visual  impairment.  This  is  quite  an
             advancement from my earlier work and not something I had
             anticipated.

                                                       Harmony
                                        Acrylic on canvas, 66x56cm, 2023

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