About
I am originally from Liverpool in the UK, but have now been living in an old farmhouse in France for the last 18 years (via 17 years in Japan).
I am self taught, but I'm grateful to have been helped along and encouraged by so many other artists that I have come into contact with through social media.
I paint in oils and mainly on MDF smooth panels (canvas and I are not good friends), and I paint in lots of thin layers (both glazes and opaque) to try and achieve a luminosity that gives the paintings an inner glow.
You can probably tell that I'm greatly influenced by the old Dutch and Belgian masters, although my technique is a little more modern.
My favourite oil paints have always been Winsor & Newton and I was very lucky to be asked by them, quite a few years back, to do a painting that was used on the label of their Fine Detail canvases. I'm not sure if they are still available.
Here are the labels with the original painting in the background - done on the fine detail canvas.
I also teach oil painting twice a week.
These photos are of my weekly Monday class, here in rural France: seven lovely French people (who put up with my bad French with grace and humour). Most only paint for 2 hours a week, but they are all very keen and willing to learn. The styles are a 'little' eclectic but I try to help them achieve their varied goals.
