After years of creating ideas for clients in advertising it's hard to do a painting without an idea. It's an opportunity to create something without the restriction of a brief, a budget and the approval of an unimaginative client.
An opportunity to make a statement, create awareness and have a point of view: whether that be humorous, tongue in cheek, political, topical or just controversial. An opportunity to help make people smile, make a change, break down barriers and create a better happier world to live in.
To me it's important that art makes people feel something or makes them think about what they're seeing…. to create a reaction because it's better to be loved or hated than to be invisible and bland.
I don’t have or want a specific style or look because I like painting completely different subjects or messages every time. They all have their own treatment and style and deserve their own look and style to bring them to life.
I prefer working in Acrylic because it dries fast and is much easier to clean up because I have no patience and use a lot of paint. My most used tool is the hair dryer because I like sharp edges and no blending with a crisp edgy finish that looks 3D and lifts off the canvas.
Black is by far my favourite colour because it’s rich, powerful and dramatic. (Probably because I'm an All Black supporter.)
So it's no surprise that some of my recent paintings are a series based on the BLM cause.