I have been fortunate enough to have been supported and encourage by a variety of excellent art tutors, from school through to fine art post graduate level. I soon realised that you can't develop your work in isolation, a rigorous art school environment is important; the young artist needs to feed from the criticism and advice of established artists and other students. This background gave me the confidence necessary to work independently as an artist. It can be very challenging to sustain working for long periods, alone in the studio. I did benefit hugely from my own art education, this is one reason why alongside my own practice as a painter I work as a fine art lecturer. My intention in teaching is to give students the space and guidance that allows them to find a genuine personal direction for their own study. I get a lot back from seeing art students taking risks and developing their understanding.

I have a long established interest in painting. Although the way I have worked has evolved throughout my career some aspects have remained more consistent. I have had an on-going interest in strong, dominant colour and the way it is applied to construct an image. The most recent paintings refer to a built, urban environment; often places that I recognise from where I lived as child or that I have developed a connection with. They recall the idealised, post-modernist architecture that can be found in simple domestic settings. These places offered a promising, beautiful and perfect future; a place for shelter, escape and happiness. The paintings attempt to explore what remains of this optimistic new world.