‘My painting is a direct response to the world around me. I paint a variety of subject matter always from the subject: figure in the landscape, landscape and still life. Also, a regular part of my practice is spent working with the lifemodel in the studio. I paint subjects that arrest my attention and the looking often takes hours. I love the ‘doing’ of painting; the engagement with the subject, the absorption I feel in the activity. My main preoccupations are the integration of the paint with the image; a strong underlying two-dimensional design, and a fascination with light, colour and mood. I work mainly in oils and prepare a lot of my own surfaces.’