Inspiration

My paintings are inspired by the landscapes of Pembrokeshire and my long relationship with the places that have shaped me. Particular headlands, paths, stretches of coastline and changing light often provide the starting point for a painting, but the work develops through memory, experience and an emotional response to the landscape.

Having grown up in Pembrokeshire, left and eventually returned, I have become increasingly interested in how our relationship with a place changes over time. We may return to somewhere familiar, but we never experience it in quite the same way twice. Our memories and experiences shape what we notice and how we see.

Rather than attempting to reproduce a scene exactly, I use colour, shape and layered forms to explore the feeling of being in a particular place. The warmth of sunlight on a path, the movement of water, the shifting colours of the land and the sense of calm that comes from being immersed in nature can all become part of the painting.

Working intuitively in layers of acrylic paint, I allow shapes, rhythm and colour to evolve on the canvas. Geometric forms bring structure to the composition, while visible marks and layers suggest movement, memory and traces of what has come before.

Ultimately, my work is about the relationship between what we see and what we remember. Although each painting begins with my own experience of the Pembrokeshire landscape, I hope it leaves space for viewers to bring their own memories, emotions and connections to the work.