Born and educated in Bournemouth on the south coast of England, I attended Bournemouth and Poole School of Art, graduating in graphic design – later attending St Martins London to further my training in exhibition design. I currently live in a suburb of the most fabulous boutique city in the southern hemisphere – Wellington – arts and culture capital of Aotearoa New Zealand.
My interest in the use of inks and waxes stems from early experiments to create differing textures for cold press print. I have worked with acrylics, appreciating the immediacy of a finished pieces, but in recent years I have returned to the medium of ink with the occasional deviation into mixed media.
Mostly I appreciate responding to texture, not least the textures that reflect the vast array of woods – bark especially fascinates me as they are most often landscapes in miniature. My work today is seeking different textures and effects using inks on different types of wax and oil, sometimes building layer upon layer – just to see what happens.
In art there are no boundaries. Every artist has an opportunity to speak to the world saying, “this is me, this is form my soul, take it or leave it.” You read your message – I have none in particular to offer, other than, look around you and witness the stunning wonders of creation, even the nasty bits where humankind has mucked things up.
‘Calix’ is, as the word suggests, a series born of reflection on the cup in all its many forms – from flower to vessel to sacred chalice. It is at this point in exploration that the desire to fiddle with texture fully re-emerged. If you go to the to the centre of the flower, absolute calm, where the business of the plant is.
‘Carnival at Stonehenge’ is a series of simple ink line drawings that are little more than fun. Some of my Polynesian friends have likened them to traditional tattoo. My forebears have links with Stonehenge, so maybe there is a deep connection in these pictures. I don’t think they were Druids, but most of my ancestors come form that corner of Wiltshire in England.
After these two series some free form abstracts have appeared. ‘The Road to Auschwitz’ was the result of a particularly painful contemplation while managing a traveling exhibition that focused on the Holocaust of WWII – a memory that still haunts. Being part Jewish doubtless there is a connection, ( if that needs to be found? ). More recent abstracts are merely desires to search in areas not previously ventured into, and which throw up a myriad of interesting forms, textures and surprising colours.
That’s my art to-date. The history of me? Look elsewhere – it could help if you suffer with insomnia, otherwise you’ll just be bored.
Paintings coming soon – I promise!
graywills 