Shadow of a man

HIGHLY COMMENDED

2023

oil and enamel on canvas

149 x 100 cm

I’ve always had this feeling as though I don’t fit into this world. My work as an artist is about striving for meaning and is an expression in colour, shape and surface and the transformation of skill and imagination into something that transcends both. I sometimes approach a work with a specific idea, however I’m fond of letting a work develop organically as it’s made. The aim is to elicit an emotional response in the viewer. Rather than think of what the work represents, think about how it makes you feel.

I’m inspired by the Abstract Expressionist movement that originated in the United States after the Second World War, and I incorporate aspects of action painting and colour field in my work. The art I make uses several techniques including brush, knife, rag and dripping. Each of these methods is continuing to evolve and I don’t have a standard way. Each work is an exploration of the medium. This work is a perfect example of this philosophy, playing with an idea for a self-portrait it emerged subconsciously as I experimented with how to approach the line. The process of creation is as important as the finished painting.