About my art

My work is driven by my love of stories, myth, history and opulence, and a reverence for nature.

I’m interested in storytelling through my art - whether it’s the subtle story of an individual told through pose and gaze, or a more involved interaction between individuals and their setting.

I enjoy re-imagining old myths, characters and stories as well as creating new ones. I believe stories and myths are living things, their lore and history integrated into our understanding of the world. As such my paintings often start with a ‘what if’ based on something I think I already know: What if we viewed this myth through today’s eyes? What if this story had a different ending? What if we could glimpse this goddess in a moment of rest? The resulting paintings become flights of fantasy rooted in history and myth.

I’m strongly influenced by Renaissance Art, with its rich narrative and colours, its roots in classical culture and mythology, and its core philosophy of humanism, whereby humans as individuals became a subject worthy of study, and therefore depiction. I’m equally invested in extending this concept to encompass individuals within the animal kingdom, whose core desires are so similar to our own.

My art is also inspired by the opulence and symbolism in Old Masters and religious icon paintings. I am drawn to the sheer glory of it all. I feel that splendour and wonder is so often lacking in our modern existence, and I believe it’s worth holding on to.