I think of a painting as a gift to the viewer.
When seen from a distance my work appears to be a realistic representation of a subject. As you get closer the vision changes, mark making becomes more evident, until up close the painting reveals itself as a collection of almost abstract elements.
I became aware, as the size of my work increased, that in close proximity the whole painting can exceed the visual field. With the idea of a painting as a gift in mind, I thought of almost hiding relevant text, written by hand in watercolour, amongst the painted marks. This would only be included in the larger work, as in smaller paintings it would be intrusive. The writing allows the painting to ‘give again’, adding interest and increasing the value of the viewer’s experience one more time.
Excerpts from the catalogue: