Artists Statement

I have drawn and painted for as long as I can remember in a family with a rich art background. There have been successful artists on both sides of my family. Most notably was the surrealist painter, the late Leonora Carrington whose interest in myth and dreams are similar to my own.

I have several cousins who are professional artists and I was encouraged to watch and learn from them. I had no formal classes until high school and went on from there to study art in London then Edinburgh, obtaining a bachelors degree in drawing and painting in 1997.   

I was, am still, profoundly influenced by the moors and mountains of Scotland and Northern England, I still search for landscapes that give me the depth and subtlety of those earlier images.

After graduating from Edinburgh college of Art I spent six months painting in India before settling in Santa Barbara for seven years and then finally moving on to Eugene.

When I came to the USA I hiked the extensive trails of where I lived and camped out when I had the opportunity. I read the local history, especially those of the local Indians as a way to get closer to and understand the land.

When I lived In Santa Barbara there were many beautiful creeks flanked by oaks and sycamores that were a great source of sustenance and life in that often arid county. Those pockets of life fed my curiosity to understand and travel deeper into the soul of the earth and explore how nature can reflect the intricacies of our inner world. Some of my paintings verge more towards the dream acting as portals to the many dimensions of the imagination.

Now that I have moved to Eugene the nearby forests and trees seem lush and full of life. However they tell a slightly different story than Santa Barbara because the very nature of Oregons forests have been dramatically changed because of logging. The few old growth areas are like gold dust. I wish to somehow record these precious monuments and maybe even inspire people to protect what we have left.