Statement

My main inspiration comes from my native Scotland where the subtly shifting light and its effects over the land hold an endless fascination for me. I favour oil as a medium because I love its superb blending qualities. I also paint in gouache and watercolour.

I like to paint outside directly from the landscape as much as possible. My work seeks to explore the boundary between realism and abstraction, the point at which an image transcends the purely representational. I enjoy the challenge of getting something down very fast, where a fleeting moment of beauty may soon be gone and when I feel I’m painting instinctively. I work larger pieces up back in the studio; using sketches and smaller paintings I start with a direct reference but often the painting moves off in another direction, usually remaining within the realms of realism but becoming more about an evocation of place than a faithful replica.