Please can you tell me about yourself. Where did your artistic flare spark from?

I studied fine art at university in Ohio. My artistic spark came from a desire to create something that delights people. This has been a constant in my life. When I later studied architecture in London, I realised people can have a similar emotional response to their environment.

Have your surroundings been influential to your artwork?

Absolutely. I draw inspiration from my immediate surroundings, as well as environments I visit when travelling. My ’Sky Series’, for example, was inspired by the ever-changing light and colour of the skies over London. I had the opportunity to travel to New Zealand a few years ago and created a series based on the landscapes and colours of that magical country.

Your work has a lot of emphasis on colour theory. what does colour mean to you?

I am fascinated by how the perception of colours change when they are laid next to each other. On my ‘Day Colour Series’, I placed a single colour against other colours to see how they create a unique visual identity when combined, which elicits a specific emotional response.

In my ‘Circus series’, I drew on the colours of the circus to explore the feelings I had as a child when I entered a circus tent.

If you could only use one colour palette for the rest of your career, what colours would you choose?

Colour is so important to me that it would be impossible to choose. I would forgo it all-together and only use all the shades of grey, from almost black to almost white.

Describe your creative process; from start to finish of one of your pieces. Where do you find your inspiration?

Each series is approached in a different way, sometimes from memory and also from photographs. Once the basic concept is decided, I tend to sketch it out and think about the size of the works. I then start to combine colours and sift through the various combinations to form the palette. One of the reasons I like to do works in series, is that I can explore variations of the theme many times within the same or familiar concept.

What is your favourite series of work you have created and why?

Of my recent series, I have really enjoyed working on the ’Stratus Series’. It is the culmination of a few series before that were based on colour theory and minimalism. On this series, I broke away from using straight lines and started incorporating curves to emphasise the natural - although still abstracted, aspects of nature that was the inspiration for the series.

Who is your favourite artist and why? Do they have an influence on your work?

Ha! Not really a fair question as there are so many influences from a wide range of artists that have affected my practice. If I had to choose two in no particular order… Josef Albers and Henri Matisse.

What has been your greatest achievement so far as an artist?

Apart from the joy I get personally from making art in my practice, I think the most satisfying thing is when someone purchases an artwork and sends me a note on how much they enjoy it.

Why do you think art is important in society?

If the interpretation by an artist of their surroundings or emotions causes the viewer to react in some way, then art as a commentary has done its job. It is important for society to see new ideas and explore concepts brought by others as a way to start conversations.

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