Painter from the North West of England
Statement
People often tell me my work carries the familiar tone of childhood illustrations. But I’m not interested in telling tales. I strip away the story and extract the character - unmoored and suspended without a narrative. Stripped of context, they float in a space between recognition and uncertainty, their presence familiar yet slightly askew. They exist on the edge of something - playfully humorous yet uncanny and dark.
I want my paintings to provoke a quiet, knowing recognition - a sense of curiosity, compassion, and unease at our unpredictable and vulnerable humanity. People are full of contradictions - constantly crafting, revealing, and obscuring themselves. We stretch, twist, exaggerate, and soften to fit the moment - knowingly or not. A fleeting glance, the flicker of a gesture or the tension in a hip - these subtle shifts can expose us more than we intend.
Some call my style kitsch or caricature. I embrace the paradox. Portraiture has long sought to unveil the sitter’s true self, but can we ever be fully known, even to ourselves? The self is fluid, and lingering shadows hold quiet truths we may choose to confront or ignore.
How I Work
I used to paint using the alla prima method, working wet into wet, frantically trying to capture something at a desperate pace. But in early 2024, my process radically changed. I slowed down. Now, I build translucent layers of oil paint over months. This demands patience, a kind of surrender to time - it quiets the ego and nourishes the soul.
Drawing remains my anchor. I draw from life when I can, though memory, mirrors, and photographs often play a supporting role. I distort, stretch, and amplify—not to mimic reality, but to intensify it. This approach transforms the literal into something symbolic, evocative, and psychologically charged.
For work in progress please see my Instagram here.
