One of the things I want to do is express my sense of light and its manifestations - light and its constant companion dark. Without dark, light would not exist and vice versa. A field can be brought into the light simply by painting a shadow across it. I like to paint town and landscapes for this reason. One of the qualities that draws me to the views around and within Dunedin, is the competing sense of light and shade, all with a sense of nuance. Dunedin may not be large, but it does offer great variety and reflects so much history in its heritage and architecture. This creates plenty of challenges as well as opportunities for the artist. The harbour, the hills and the weather provide a rich atmosphere.

Watercolour as a medium has qualities I like. The process happens largely by itself as water develops a life of its own flowing quite happily everywhere it can, with a preference for off the paper, onto the floor, on the walls, or anywhere outside. Increasingly I’ve tried to let this happen as much as possible, though the temptation to interfere is strong! Somehow, I feel that watercolour should be prompted rather than controlled, and serendipity can follow.  I try not to be too bossy and interfering.

I feel that Art is not just what you do; it’s very much what it is within us that makes us want to do it, and having done it, to experience some sense of focus and completion. It also helps us see things in a different way.