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Biography: CONCEPTS, IDEAS AND THEMES Artistic invention of sacred and religious themes in Painting, Sculpture and Architecture have been a constant influence in my own paintings and drawings since 1986. In 1997 this interest broadened to include Islamic and (more recently) Japanese sacred influences alongside the strong Western cultural influences particularly of Baroque and Medieval Art. The series titled Sacred Interiors was initially inspired by a visit to the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. The Islamic design with its emphasis on elaborate decoration, symmetry, inventive use of interior and exterior space, the importance of geometry, and the creative use of water in all of its forms, have all helped to inform my work. Series 4 - the most recent series of paintings and drawings has evolved yet again moving from the busy 'Islamic' inspired work to a more quieter and minimal expression informed through the writings and philosophical interests of Zen Buddhism. In particular the Zen Gardens and Temples of Kyoto. PROCESSES AND TECHNIQUES Most of my work uses traditional art materials. Oil on canvas (paintings) and condensed charcoal on paper (drawings). In the Sacred Interiors series (1997-00), 1 -3, I introduced stencils and spray paint into the work both on paper and canvas. The spray paint was a commercially produced acrylic paint, and the stencils I designed and made. This method relied on layering and multipling the design, creating a busy composition resulting in a complex spatial construction. Series 4, from 2000 onwards, the materials have returned to oil on canves, and charcoal on paper, to develop a set of paintings mainly large scale 160 x 320cm (largest so far) and are constructed with a small regulated brush mark and a subtly changing closely controlled palette. There is a concentration of gold, gold/silver, pigment used in these compositions which creates a reflective, constantly shifting surface in relation to the lighting conditions in which the paintings are exhibited. INFLUENCES AND AIMS Geometry, location, mapping, Islamic Design and Architecture, deconstruction CAREER PATH My interest in the artistic invention of sacred and religious themes began in a serious manner in 1986 during my studies as a painting scholar at the British School at Rome. The two years in the studio, combined with the contact with fellow artists, architects, archaeologists, scholars and historians in the school created a deeper understa... to see complete biography, click on artists name Country: UK Birthyear: 1953 Galleries: Selected Galleries 2003 Residence Show, Maronie Gallery, Kyoto, Japan 2003 Made in England, Maronie Gallery, Kyoto, Japan 2003 Sacred Interiors 1997 - 2003, APT Gallery, London 2001 Trinity House Gallery, De Montfort University, Leicester 2000 Sacred Interiors, Part two Krefelder KunstvereinKrefeld, Germany 2000 Cheltenham drawing openCheltenham and Sierre, Switzerland 1999 Sacred Interiors, Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery 1999 Interiors, Beatrice Royal Contemporary Gallery, Southampton 1998 Beatrice Royal Contemporary Gallery 1997 30 Years of Fellows, Cheltenham Art Gallery 1997 Histories, Bonlieu Arts Centre, Annecy, France 1996 Italian Connections, Vicarage Gallery, Newcastle 1995 Beyond The Surface, Brewery Arts Centre, Cirencester 1995 Affinities, Kunsterhaus, Göttingen, Germany 1995 Affinties, Islington Arts Factory, London 1995 Heaven and Earth, Axiom Arts Centre, Cheltenham 1994 Beyond the Surface, International Arts Festival, Melbu, Norway 1990 Bergen Drawings, Vestlandets Kunstakademi, Bergen, Norway 1989 Benjamin Rhodes Gallery, London Awards: 1982 Winchester School of Art - Drawing Prize 1986-88 Rome Scholar in Painting British school at Rome 1988-89 Fellow in Painting Gloucestershire College of Art and Technology 1992 South West Open Prize Winner 1992 South West Arts Project Award Working in Northern Norway 1993 Malvern Drawing Open - Drawing Award Media: oil Style: abstract Subjects: light and color