Studio Practice
My studio is based in Cannizaro Park, Wimbledon Common. Run by ACAVA, the studios were formerly the potting sheds for the gardens.
Practice in the studio is very much influenced by the space itself and its surroundings. The frosted windows give a diffused light which lets in hints of the greenery outside and demands additional artificial lighting. There is space in the studio to make large pieces and oil based paintings and monoprints.
As an artist I have had a studio on occasion and also worked at home, much dependent on finances and the body of work that needed to be produced. The main purpose of a studio away from home had been as somewhere to do oil based work and avoid asphyxiation from the turps, and enough space to stand back from a painting.
The studios at Cannizaro have become a different experience. I initially used the space for a series of blue still life paintings, but the greens and browns of the surroundings gradually began to seep into the work. Initially resistant to working directly from this rather beautiful landscape, I have gradually succumbed and incorporated its influence into my practice.
The studios are open twice a year to the public Visits to the studio can be booked by appointment. Please contact the artist.
"Finding a Path" exhibition 2006
A series of paintings and photographs based on the theme of pathways.
Displayed in the studio is work in progress inspired by the surroundings of Cannizaro Park though the year, and walks through the gardens of Tresco and the Zen Gardens of Japan. The works have a common theme - that of pathways and journeys. They are the result of absorbing landscapes through time and seasons, and through the act of walking.
The colours are influenced by the changing conditions, the gentle greys of the park during the winter, the almost explosive burst of blossom in April, to a garden lit by moonlight.
