A collection of works made using pigments from or grown in the earth and traded over the sea, pigments that have a relationship to the South West of England and particularly its coast, the area where I grew up, and the place I longed for when travel was not allowed.  In the summer of 2020 and 2021 when I was able to fulfil this longing I visited Hampshire, Dorset Sommerset and Cornwall, collecting images of the ancient landscape, researching pigments and collecting materials direct from the land.  I was drawn to the ancient sites, to the landmarks in barrows which look like fertility symbols while marking places of burial. To the standing stones, and the forms that repeat through history. To the role of this area as a conduit of people, ideas and trade, with legal and piratical.  And as always to the evidence of cultural exchange and the richness that comes from the  movement of people.

I spent some time in the studio in the last few months making madder pigment, ink from spruce, verdigris, pigment from Jurassic mud rock and other clay earths, as well as hand making paint from other pigments like woad, indigo, ochre , and earth green that have a relationship to the trade and history of this very ancient area.  Ever since I was a child travelling through these landscapes the connection between the ancient and modern as held me. People so different and yet ultimately the same. cultures leaving traces, of places travelled to and people who came. The very cyclic nature of things, of love and loss of sex and death in cycles of birth life and endings.

Our House is Falling Down, sea brick ochre, woad, mud rock ochre, madder in oil on Arches guile paper, mounted on a stretcher with UV protective matt varnish 126x171cm

Up the Road From Penzance, madder, verdigris, terre vert, woad and mud rock ochre in oil on Arches huile paper, mounted on a stretcher and framed in an oak tray frame with UV protective matt varnish, 126x1800cm

Sea Pools and Shipping, sea brick ochre, mud rock ochre, woad, indigo, madder in oil on Arches huile paper, mounted on a stretcher and framed in a floater frame, varnished with UV protective varnish 126x161cm

Sea Walls and Ship Wrecks, woad, indigo and red ochre in oil on Arches huile paper, mounted on a stretcher and framed with a floater frame, protected with UV varnish 126x155cm

this summer I discovered a new paper from Arches, a 300gsm 100% cotton rag paper called Huile which is suitable for painting on directly in oil paints. I found when using oils in a matt form with a good dose of pigments the paper gave a lovely soft warm finish, and so I devised a way of framing it without glazing because the surface is so beautiful. I protected the actual surface with UV protective varnish, and otherwise treated it like canvas, stretching over bespoke stretchers made for me by Bird and Davis I am able to offer these in a tray frame, so that the surface of the paper is viewable in its loveliness.  the four [pieces above have been handled in this way.  The smaller works below could also be framed in this way on request, but are currently unframed.  

I will be publishing a full catalogue of these works launching them  with the Other Art Fair 14-17th October in London, please sign up on the home page to receive emails and your link to the catalogue, or email me at the address below for to request one.