Water-Based Media on Canvas

After years of working in oil on canvas, I initially approached working in water-based media simply as quick preliminary studies for the oils. I quickly became quite absorbed in the unique potential that I found in acrylic and other water media. I enjoy exploring colour, texture, surface and composition in a new and more immediate way, and this has gradually grown into a body of work in its own right, which has taken me in some wonderful new directions. I have drawn from the glazing techniques I use in oil, and re-interpreted it as a means of developing layers on paper to structure the work. Water media allows a greater sense of continuity for me, as I can move from step to step within the process within a tighter time frame. This work has an organic and spontaneous quality that I enjoy, and which seems to have developed a life of its own.

The identifiable images (birds, moths, etc) that I use in these paintings grew from a desire to incorporate a strong, identifiable shape within the formal composition. Birds offer a wonderful formal element to work with – strong shapes and the possibility of implied movement... But beyond this, I have a certain fascination with birds – creatures that seem so utterly different from our own species to the point that they seem full of mystery and intrigue. It is easy to interpret their postures and behaviour through human references, creating a second level of relationship and interpretation within the composition.