Landscapes
Contemporary Landscapes of Suffolk and the Mountain Regions of Bavaria, France and Italy
Inspiration from the Suffolk landscape
The landscapes of my native Suffolk coast are a constant source of inspiration. Aldeburgh with its long shingle beach, characterful town and variety of colours that change in all weathers is a favourite place. Slaughden further along the coast has an atmosphere that I connect with which continually informs my landscapes. There is a spit of land with the river on one side and the sea on the other and a magnificent cathedral-like sky that never looks or feels the same for two days running. Both Landguard and Brackenbury Cliffs at Felixstowe are bathed in the pale light reflected from the North Sea and are magical places to paint at. More recently I have been working at Ipswich’s lively Waterfront area; all of these locations offer endless possibilities.
Mountain regions of Bavaria, France and Italy
I also paint on my travels during the summer months, inspired by the landscapes in the mountain regions of Bavaria, France and Italy. Sometimes just the simplified shapes and patterns created by distant fields, trees and houses within the hills and mountains become the subject.
Painting directly from the subject
My landscapes are worked directly from the subject with oil paint. The most exciting paintings are when I see a setting, a crashing sea, a dark and threatening sky, the edge of a building in a certain light, and a figure appears and enlivens the whole composition. Many of the smaller landscapes illustrated here were painted in a few hours, the figures worked in before disappearing, followed by an intense period of painting activity to resolve the rest of the panel. I always like the mood the paintings develop and this element becomes very important to me. Larger work is painted from these smaller works and sketchbook studies in my studio in Ipswich.