Sidestepping the
philosophical questions of what is happiness, and how to pursue it, as an artist I can only deal confidently with the issues of what makes me happy.
Messing about with paint and probing all aspects of the creative process makes me happy. Exploring this planet’s stunning landscapes and discovering the
wonders of nature makes me very happy.
With my background as an architect, I tend to ‘cut to the chase’ and try to capture the essential elements of a visual experience, hence my leaning towards
minimalism and abstraction.
I look at abstraction as the process of reducing and distilling the essential elements
of a landscape, for example the colours, rhythm, mood and the
feel of the place. | | Getting rid of unnecessary detail and
extracting the
most important features of a scene is what really matters to me.
To illustrate: I bypass depicting the hillside, sunshine, vines, grapes and wine, instead I am searching for the final product, the concentrated spirit, the
potent brandy.
This brandy is the ultimate manifestation of all the essential elements that
contributed to its existence. My use of invigorating colour and
complex patterns reflects my desire to create works that inspire optimism, reflect the vitality of the
wilderness
and provide a meaningful experience for the viewer. I like bright cheerful colours that
illustrate the thrill of being alive.
While selling contemporary paintings naturally has its benefits
for any artist,
for me the real achievement (and the source of happiness) comes when people find my paintings speak to them,
when my creations are meaningful enough to help to dust away the stresses of their daily lives. |
