DRAWN TO THE WILD EXPANSES OF THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

Since graduating in 1995 I have spent my time as an artist working in the North Pennine regions of County Durham and now the North York Moors.

I come from a largely agricultural background. As a painter working with the landscape I am constantly challenged to create work which acknowledges the romantic splendour of the Northern landscape, whilst at the same time being conscious that my work is rooted in the daily practicalities of rural life. As a result my work can take many forms - currently I am finding that my work is falling loosely into two categories:

Landscape paintings, in watercolour and pastel or oil, made both 'on site' or back at the studio.

'Drawings', personal and subjective investigations into my environment using mixed media, normally more abstract in nature.

My drawings are not only a response to the visual but also represent an attempt to convey the subjective element in the perception and whole experience of my environment.

I believe that every individual has the potential to impose something different and unique on what he or she sees. In this way contemporary landscape painting can give me the freedom to express not only the literal but also allows me to acknowledge pasts, presents and futures both real and projected, documented, or dreamed.

The immediacy and versatility allowed by the drawing process offers me the freedom and speed to concentrate on developing an essential language and understanding of what I perceive to constitute 'place'. Some drawings have concentrated on developing a mark making system to reflect the unusual complexity of an area of land, while in others I have chosen to systematically build up layers and then remove them in order to mirror the physical processes at work in the landscape. Resulting works incorporate literal signs such a telegraph pole, pylon or landmark, while others give no indication of scale or orientation.

In 2018 I was appointed Artist i residence for the Cleveland Way National Trail 50th Anniversary culminating in a solo show at The Inspired by Gallery, Danby in May 2019. A catalogue for the residency is available - click here.

In 2022 I spent just over a month as artist in residence on the Rahoy Hills Reserve, Morvern on the wild west coast of Scotland. The resulting works formed a one person exhibition at Resipole Studios Gallery, Ardnamurchan in September 2023.

Most recently I have taken part in ‘Shadowlands’ a five week course run by ‘Drawing Correspondence’ an online drawing initiative run by Anita Taylor, Tania Kovats and Chloe Briggs. A link to the online catalogue can be found here.

The Lund

My home and my studio is at The Lund, just outside the beautiful market town of Easingwold. If you’d like to know more about my life here working in the landscape of the Lund, visit www.the-lund.co.uk

Lund Gallery

In 2005 I established Lund Gallery in converted farm buildings next to my studio, just outside Easingwold, North Yorkshire. To give me time to concentrate on my own practice the Gallery no longer has regular opening hours, it opens for pop up exhibitions and events. Sign up to my mailing list (link on home page) to keep up to date with Gallery news.