Gallerina

One minute the sea is calm and quiet, the next the sky turns heavy and the water comes in crashing. That push and pull between stillness and wildness runs through everything I make.

My abstract work is about the feeling of standing by the water and forgetting everything else for a moment. The light and the movement demand all of your attention, and for a while the weight of everyday life lifts. I want my paintings to do the same thing. To pull you in, slow you down, and give you that feeling of being fully present.

The marks come from that physical experience. Repeated textures echo pebbles underfoot, sea spray, the surface of water in low light. Colour is incredibly important. I use vibrant hues to portray the excitement I feel when I’m out in the elements. Through the layers there are small spots of warm yellow that seem to glow from within, like light coming through clouds.

I build my acrylic and mixed-media paintings intuitively, responding to what is happening on the canvas. But there is always a sense of order underneath, a feel for balance and space that comes from my background in design. I want the work to reward close attention, to feel different the longer you look.

Vulnerability is an essential part of my work. I leave more of the process visible now than I would have in the past. The raw marks I would once have painted over, those are where the energy is. Not everything needs to be resolved to feel complete.