When asked to describe my own practice, I say I am a realist painter but that my work has abstract qualities. By this I mean that I aim to paint my chosen subject as it appears in real life, but that through carefully constructed compositions, I try to encourage the viewer to appreciate pictorial elements such as line, shape, pattern and colour before focusing on the subject itself. My approach to working this way was not an intentional one, but rather it developed naturally through my continuous attempts to represent images and scenes I found attractive.
To explain this process, it is useful to first consider what these terms mean. Pure abstract or non-representational art is not based on reality, but instead communicates a personal or emotional experience using the visual language of lines, forms, textures and colours. With no obvious narrative, abstract art encourages the viewer to draw upon their own experiences and imagination
