I use colour and painting as a form of self-expression and have always been strongly drawn to colour. As a student I was fascinated by and often studied the American Expressionist movement of the 1940's and 50's. In particular, I took inspiration from the founders Klee, Kandinsky and de Kooning and female abstract pioneers Elaine de Kooning, Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler. Their style, often characterised by gestural brush-strokes or mark-making, and the impression of spontaneity resonated strongly with me, so too their use of colour to express emotion.
As any artist will know, it’s not a want, but an inherent need to create. Solitude and music play an integral role in my process; I cannot paint without it and in turn, the song often weaves its way into the painting, feeding it energy and assisting my mind to focus purely on the evolution of the painting, helping to dispel analysis.
In a sense, the music helps to strengthen the visceral connection and the painting can take on a life of its own. Often I will listen to one song for the duration of the work and usually title the painting after particular lyrics that may resonate with my mood or feelings at the time.
When I am painting, I never feel alone. For me, to paint is to love and abstract painting is a language to me.