Artist Statement

In the natural world we see certain shapes re-occur. We become familiarised with the seasonal shape of the trumpeted daffodil head for example and for many this is a sure sign of the summer warmth to come. Our ability to recognise shape and line is naturally taken for granted, and this became apparent to me as I explored the natural world I had become to accustomed to.

I would sit, eyes open at times and shut at others recording shape and line from the landscape that lay in front of me. As these drawings developed I noticed I had begun to employ a set of marks. Shapes would re-occur in the drawings though I had no conscious effort of doing this. It became clear that I had a natural tendency to select certain shapes and lines over others and so it became important that I exploited this discovery. I wanted to know why I had a subconscious urge to make works about the natural landscape, and more importantly; why did these shapes keep re-occurring? What were they to become?

As my work has proceeded, new elements have become important, and at time taken center stage. The work reflects the two areas I have been concerned with. Firstly being a direct result of the material manipulation I have been interested in and secondly, each painting acts as a marker, illustrating the position in my exploration of self.

I seem to have managed to create parts of my subconscious. Areas are blurred and some shapes are familure but not immediately recognisable. I have felt that my exploration of self, has taken me on a unpredictable, personal journey. To ask my self why I had a fond relationship with the natural landscape, in a way is similar to one asking themselves 'why do I feel embarrassed, nervous or fall in love?' It was an exploration into an emotion that it seemed could only be expressed through my art, and to work, not knowing what image would come into focus next was very exciting.

The shapes and lines acted as the foundations of my research, they were the initial building blocks. They also filtered throughout the work and ended up acting as a binding quality, marrying the medium manipulation and the self exploration.

My work deals with the aesthetic qualities such as surface, depth, tone and line. It is my emotional response to the natural world, it is a conversation between concious and subconscious.