The isolated, rural island environment where I grew up remains a major influence on my studio practice. The materials I rely on include oil, gouache, ink, and charcoal with supports such as rag paper and birch panels. Sometimes I incorporate linen – that I dye, stencil or embroider – as well as cardboard and found wood scraps. I like that these materials come from nature, whether as pigments, trees, or plants. Working with gouache is especially satisfying. Its inherent properties – rapid drying time and lush saturated colour inspire endless experiments with simple ideas around colour, shape, and composition.
This series of decorative bird portraits and other familiar figurines evolved out of a period of introspection. While the subject seems frivolous and mundane, I've chosen it because it harkens me back to early childhood when I had to dust my granny's huge figurine collection. At age seven, I began drawing my favourite ones and found I could translate my perceptions of space and tone in a mature way.
At the start of this current series, I decided the portraits would be plain with no other elements besides the subject capturing a vague sense of space on a small surface. I was attempting to crystallize a nostalgic place and time. Now, overly large floral elements bloom around the subject, sometimes taking over the picture plane in an almost suffocating way dwarfing the subject in small dark openings like caves or found space in the under-storey.
From a material point of view, working in acrylic gouache is very appealing with this subject matter; the glossy glazes effortlessly match the dense pigmentation of the paint. I like the result.