Artist's Statement

Why I work as an artist?...... The job of working as an artist is a very odd one and often I wonder about the purpose of creating artwork and whether I am wasting my time. I am reassured through discussions with other artists, musicians and writers, amateur and professional, emerging or well known that we all go through the same crisis of confidence. We all have moments of thinking our work is terrible or perhaps we should go and get a “real job”! However confirmation is given to me of the significance of what I do each day when, through my work, I strike a chord with someone else. If I express something meaningful to them in my work or my work stimulates thought or a discussion about a “truth” or dilemma we have come to understand through the simple living of life then I feel a sense of affirmation. Fortunately for me, I have some means of expressing my feelings, questioning and understanding of the world and I can share this with others through my work. This ability has helped me to deal with issues in my life and it is wonderful to me when I can make a difference to someone else in a positive way.

The images I create are an attempt to connect personal experiences with the universal human condition. I feel that I have achieved some success as an artist when the viewer of my work conveys to me their identification with the meaning of that work; when I find that we are both on the same "wavelength”. 

It is exciting to establish a connection with another person, perhaps a total stranger, on a very personal level, through my work. That experience of “sharing” erodes the distance between each of us and means to me that each of us is not alone in dealing with the important, sad and joyful things that life deals out. This is very reassuring to me. 

As a form of communication, the visual image is exciting because it is not limited by cultural, language, gender or age barriers and there are no rules, no right or wrong ways to create. The only limitations are time and ability. It is immensely satisfying to me to have the opportunity to be creative every day and to “make things” that last beyond that moment of “making” and can be shared. Working with paint and colours, fabrics and mess is fun, an escape, relaxing and an opportunity for “play” as well as being mentally challenging and sheer hard work. Deriving an income from my passion is also challenging and interesting. The job is addictive: the urge to create, a relentless and hard taskmaster, but as a “job” it is ultimately immensely rewarding, on many levels.