Page 99 - Winter Issue

In your artist statement, you mention depicting people "coping with what has been thrust upon them."
How do you approach illustrating these narratives of resilience or struggle in your Capriccios?
Most are based on my thoughts on how different types of people would react to this world of ruins. I imagine some
blithely carrying on, some striving to piece together a new life, while others wonder how it could’ve possibly gone wrong.
Living in Bath, a city rich in historical architecture, how does your environment shape your work? Are
there specific architectural influences from Bath that appear in your paintings?
I’m very lucky to live in Bath, and I borrow many architectural elements from it, especially little details like cornicing and
plant growth in brickwork… I often just have to look out my studio window for reference!
Your work is influenced by painters of the 18th and 19th centuries. Who are some of the artists from that
era you admire most, and what aspects of their work inspire you?
My favorite artists change around but I’ve always loved Turner, Friedrich, and later, painters from the turn-of-the-
century period such as Chełmoński and Arnold Böcklin. I’m really inspired by the careful use of color and tone, which is
why I'm drawn to these particular artists.
What do you hope viewers take away from the historical themes and ruinous landscapes in your
paintings? Are you hoping to spark reflection on modern society or to evoke a certain emotional
response?
I’m hoping to spark some reflection on modern society. I never mean to preach, but I do hope to gently nudge viewers
into understanding that we have collectively been here before, more than once, and that it doesn’t have to end in ruins.

Moth on a Building Capriccio VIII
Oil on panel, Oil on panel,
30x20cm, 2024 30x20cm, 2024

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