The 2^nd of February saw the opening of Paresh Nrshinga’s solo exhibition for View@ Harveys Cellars. On this particularly bitter and frosty evening, Paresh’s vibrant paintings combined with Harveys tapas proved to be a very welcome respite.

The artists’ skill and wide variety of canvases enabled us to create several distinct stories on each of the walls. On the back we placed mixed media canvases enriched in dark reds, sumptuous golds and burnt oranges. These helped create a delightfully warm and welcoming entrance for the viewer. To the right, Infinity with its pale pinks, greens and purples hung on its own and opposite this was the two that incited the most conversation: The Light of the Magical Moon and Freedom. Although not originally intended as a pair, once hung together, the colours and style complemented each other perfectly.

Through into the back room, the intense and dazzling colours found in Spring Delight and Reflections produced a congruent duo. As each wall showcased different styles, colours and effects, the exhibition truly illustrated one of the joys of Paresh’s work; the enormous breadth of his talent and showed that there was something for everyone to engage with.

Curiosity was palpable throughout the evening with people genuinely interested and intrigued in how the artist achieved his finish, several even asking to touch the canvases. With high gloss finishes, deep intricate layering and energetic colouring, Paresh’s technique results in a captivatingly magical quality to each of his paintings.

Paresh himself very much encouraged this viewer interaction and took great pleasure in listening and discussing people’s own personal interpretations of his works. At times he could be seen lifting canvases off the walls and turning them upside down, which stimulated endless fascinating conversations. It also displayed the unique features to his abstract paintings: the versatility they allow and the audience engagement they provoke. Who could see what in each painting could be overheard which, in some cases, was rather amusing as fish, whales, dinosaurs, men in tuxedo jackets lifting up beautiful women and fires were all found.

The evening in general had a really pleasant feel to it, viewers of all ages felt at ease to ask questions, offer their own thoughts and feelings which, for us at View, was ideal. As always, regardless of which gallery space we are exhibiting in, we aim for our viewers to engage emotionally with the art.

Last week the Business Design Centre in Islington opened its doors to host the 24^th London Art Fair. Presenting over 100 galleries and displaying several different creative aspects I believe this event intended to entice a wide variety of visitors from overseas and as well as the UK.

The London Art Fair’s name is arguably synonymous with pressure. This is because many art analysts view it as a barometer or first marker in the art market to indicate what can be expected in the next quarter year. Sales, visitor numbers and collectors enthusiasm are weighed and measured and from that expectations are drawn.

The entrance on the ground floor brings you directly into prime pitch. These galleries all tended to be prestigious and established and displayed a major trend for the 2012 fair; “big names” in the art world such as Hirst, Hockney and Warhol. I certainly felt that Hirst was the artist that was predominantly pushed upon the viewer because he was represented by several of the galleries within this prominent space. Whilst it is always interesting to view his work, (whether because you like it aesthetically or simply enjoy marvelling at how someone who doesn’t even create his own prints can become so famous), it also incited in me a feeling of disappointment. Hirst’s work is featured very regularly within the national press and art magazines so I was hoping for the initial impact of the fair to be rather more novel than one of his skulls or butterflies that has been viewed countless times.

This focus on the established names surprised me and I began to question to what extent this fair supported emerging artists. Significantly London Art Fair Director Jonathon Burton presented a strong case for his reasoning behind this decision. Whilst the 2011 fair proved a success in terms of visitor numbers, Burton is quoted as saying that in regard to sales, pride and provenance featured as a strong component for collectors. Due to the current economic climate, people have become reluctant to take risks when investing in art. Critical prowess and exhibition history are now key features for buyers. Therefore, in Burtons’ own words, the inclusion of these artists was “reassuring for the collectors” as it lended the fair prestige. Argument being:  entice the collectors to visit by displaying the “big names” in press releases and emerging artists will also receive exposure.

Further into the fair complex revealed good, strong support and promotion for less well-known artists.  Walking up to the mezzanine level one could find a number of galleries showcasing their work.

Of particular interest to me (perhaps because I too am newly graduated), was the inclusion of the Catlin Guide. Art Catlin curator Justin Hammond has a particular awareness of emerging artists and visits numerous graduate fairs each year to discover the top 40 which he and a selection committee believe hold the most promise. These finalists are announced at the London Art Fair and Hammond stated that it has received great feedback from curators and galleries who have found artists they wish to exhibit through this guide.

A favourite piece of mine was by one of these graduates: Adeline de Monseignat, represented by the Cynthia Corbett gallery with her intriguing piece entitled Armadillo. Inspired by Freud’s theory of the uncanny and taking pleasure in subverting the familiar, Adeline (similar in ethos to View Art Gallery) takes a great interest in watching people’s emotional reactions to her work. Essentially Armadillo is a fragile sculpture comprising of fur trapped inside a glass bubble. Through her work she discovered that one’s intrigue is generally lost once something is experienced, so whilst Armadillo provides the suggestion and desire to touch, it can never be performed due to its entrapment. Whilst her work is fascinating, the exposure she has received as a result of the London Art Fair is equally insightful. The day after the private view Adeline featured in an article in the Guardian, a newspaper which has an average daily circulation of 230,541. Therefore illustrating that through the fair, perhaps due to the notoriety of people such as Hirst, young artists are projected into the public sphere for the first time. I am very much in favour of the London Art Fair providing a support and recognition of these up and coming new talents and it should not be forgotten of course that there is the potential for the discerning collector to purchase the possibility of a future investment.

Surrounding the galleries were the Art Projects Space and Photo50. The Art Projects Space was first launched in 2005 and this year was curated by Pryle Behrman.  It featured, amongst others, 29 international galleries. Behrman explained that for 2012 there were two primary and, I felt contradictory, themes. The first was the notion of escapism and the second, the financial crisis.

It was Lauren Was and Adam Eckstrom’s Ghost of a Dream that particularly drew me to this section. Using discarded lottery tickets to build an opulent setting and ironically representing peoples’ fleeting dreams, I believe this highlighted a reality that everyone can relate to and the title made it ever more poignant and sad. Certainly on the few occasions I have played the lottery, I convince myself that I have the winning ticket and start to play “what would I do with 40 million?” Logic tells us we can’t win but that doesn’t stop the intense disappointment felt each time we lose.

Also part of the Art Project section was the Film Screening Room which hosted a curated programme of experimental film and video whose central themes overlapped humour, satire and beauty in contemporary moving image artworks.

This year’s Photo 50 section was curated by Sue Steward and was aptly named The New Alchemists. It featured 12 artists who transform or deface their prints by mixing them with other media. As Steward explained, Photo 50 aimed to provoke the question of how challenging it is now to define photography due to its convergence with craft, painting and film.

Personally I was taken with Joy Gregory’s Cinderella Tours. This delightful series documents a pair of sparkly gold shoes on their journey through various cities. Whilst intending to symbolise the photographers own background, I was more intrigued by the humour and idyllic settings of the images.

Throughout the course of the fair there were also various talks that one could attend to which focused on questions such as, “Can Art Still Shock?” and “Can Photography Change Society.?”

Despite Mr Burton’s best intentions and preparations, apparently the 2012 London Art Fair recorded lower than usual sales and visitor numbers. This was surprising as the combination of artists/projects/photographs and galleries were believed to be one of the best. I visited on the Sunday morning, which Burton had expected to be one of the busiest days and was astonished with how quiet the venue was. From a selfish perspective it enabled me to experience the art on display in a more relaxed environment. However I would have preferred there to have been more of a hub and bustle. Instead, as with a lot of art establishments, there seemed to be rather too much of a reverential attitude towards the art. Gallery owners kept themselves to themselves and I wasn’t made to feel entirely welcome, particularly when walking through some of the more established gallery booths. It also seemed that this year collectors had focused their sights on buying prints of the “big names” rather than originals, perhaps too an indication of the economic climate. On the plus side, as always at art fairs, the cake and coffee on offer was superb!

Unfortunately overall I felt that the predominant focus for all directors involved was the financial crisis. This seemed to play a major role in all aspects: artist selection, themes for projects, booth size and placement etc. Perhaps it is just my own naivety that I’d hope art could sometimes be free from the overhanging burdens of investment and appreciated instead for its narrative or aesthetic qualities. I’m of course not expecting the art world to disregard this, however I will pose the question of whether it is necessary to be constantly reminded of the financial reality especially when attempting to take part in something enjoyable!

Despite my somewhat mixed experience of the fair, I do believe this is an event worth going to and exhibiting at. Especially with the expanding international focus there are serious benefits for emerging artists and galleries to showcase their work here. Adeleine de Monseignat is a prime example of how the fair’s prestige can aid exposure within the art sphere.  Essentially it illustrated to me how broad artistic taste can be and what art in contemporary society has to say.

Amalgamation showcases an exploration by 8 artists of the mythological, futuristic and imagined relationship between animals and humans. Significantly this theme has been a continuous source of artistic, literary and musical inspiration for civilisation throughout the centuries.  Judging from the reactions witnessed and comments overheard, Amalgamation is no exception to View’s continuous efforts to display art which connects emotionally with the viewer. Through these diverse artists, environmental, emotional, sentimental and arguably frightening concepts all combined to weave a web to captivate its audience.

Providing immediate impact were the eye-catching works placed in the window. Beth Carter’s Buck Rabbit, an intriguing jesmonite sculpture and Cedric Laquieze’s Fairy 1 intended and succeeded to grab our attention. One of the most arresting qualities of these enchanting creations were their colours. Buck Rabbit’s pure, bright white contrasted wonderfully with the glistening and vibrant jewel like qualities of Laquieze’s fairy.

Once through the doors, the viewer was seduced by Diggy’s array of energetic colour. Her animated style was showcased marvellously by 5 paintings. Unsurprisingly it was her expressive brushwork that particularly absorbed us as it brought her intriguing characters to life before our eyes. The longer spent experiencing her work the more the shapes and forms seem to appear, disappear and combine.

Placed amongst Diggy’s paintings were 3 more of Cedric Laquieze’s fairies. Despite being made from actual insect parts, these curious creatures have an almost futurist and mechanical appearance.  To stand before them enabled the viewers to fully appreciate the intricate detail and technical skill of this innovative artist.

Into the back room, Adele Underwood engages you with a somewhat sensitive concept: burgeoning sexuality. She symbolised the difficulty and confusion that we all contend with during adolescence through the inclusion of animal masks and faces within her images. Significantly a predominant topic of conversation throughout the evening was the unnerving eyes of her figures, particularly Court Dwarf, as they seemed to follow you around the room, watching your every move.

Conversely, providing Amalgamation with a deeply ethical content was Sharon Bishop’s multi-disciplinary images. The message behind these works is the issue of environmental damage due to constant property development. Mankind’s destruction of wildlife’s natural habitat is disturbingly conveyed through Sharon’s awkward positioning of her animals within urban environments. The most fascinating response to her art during the event was that her black and white palette made this message ever more poignant for the viewer.

John Simpson’s images also explore the relationship between the human figure and animal form with a distinctive style. Simultaneously unnerving and enchanting his favoured medium, the monotype, results in visually arresting images in both technique and content.

Louis Masai Michel’s series, A Tale of Unfortunate Sins provided a wonderful opportunity for viewers to engage their imaginations.  Without knowledge of the narrative behind these vintage photographs, one might see them as humorous and entertaining. Essentially they depict animal heads on human bodies. Although familiarity with the stories behind them: twisted tales entwined with murder and curses, reveal a deeper, potentially darker substance.

Whilst an explosion of colour could be witnessed on the top floor, the ground floor provided a rather contrasting experience with works by Mr Mead and Beth Carter.

Mr Mead’s ink and pen otherworldly creations provoked and displayed a terrifying side to Amalgamation. The visitors found that Mead’s fascination and preoccupation with terror shone through with The Child Collector. Looming over the staircase, this enormous black and white pen drawing transported you back to the world of childhood nightmares. With his morbid stare, unnerving stance and empty cage, a brooding presence was created.

Beth Carter’s intriguing instillation for Amalgamation excited comment and stimulated one of the most enjoyable and amusing aspects of the private view. Namely, overhearing the diverse stories people conjured up for her magical creatures and even inspiring some guests to create darkly animalistic speaking voices for some of her pieces! It certainly was, however, a clear indication of how easy and enjoyable it is, as always, to spend hours staring at and discussing Beth’s unique vision.

Brimming with stories, fairytales and issues common to all humanity, the longer spent amongst Amalgamation, the more fulfilling an experience it becomes.

I chose to be an artist from a young age. I have always been attracted to art and artists, instantly drawn to paintings. Are we chosen – who knows? But I do believe that some people are born with a gift.

Could you tell us some more about how you achieve the gloss finish to your canvases and intensity of colour?

Quite a few thin layers of high gloss varnish. The high intensity is achieved through a certain technique of layering a variety of different shades of colour to create the depth.

As the subconscious plays a vital role in your art would you say that you abide by the surrealist creative strategy of chance in regards to the application of paint and your compositions, or are there elements of planning?

There are certain elements of planning.
Once the planning has been done within my mind, then the subconscious takes over, because I believe the painting paints itself once the mind switches off. We are surrounded by creative energy– we just have to learn how to tap into that source. I do this by meditating, before I ever pick up a paint brush. This allows mystical forms to appear on the canvas.

If you had an uninhibited alter-ego that could produce art, what would it be like?

It would be a combination of Picasso and jean Michele Basquet, – that would be the starting point. It would be an interesting journey.

Do you find you are attracted to art that has similarities to yours or not?

Not similar to my style, but I have always been fascinated by The American abstract expressionists.

Music obviously plays a vital role in your artistic creativity, what’s currently in the music player in your studio and why?

My usual favourites are Smashing Pumpkins, Tool, Queens of the Stone Age, White Stripes. This type of music tends to have many layers: it has intensity but also tranquillity. There is melody but also passion. This helps me to create the movement but at the same time areas of calmness. I try to create some balance between the two.

You intend for your art to bring happiness to those who view it, does any particular response stand out?

One particular client of mine commented that every day when he comes home from work, he sits in front of my paintings. He finds a lot of joy and peace by just looking at the work. He said he spends more time admiring the art then watching TV. So much so, that it inspired him to take up painting. Not only it brings him joy, but it helped him to tap into his own creativity.

Do you have any role models that you are aspiring to emulate?

I would like to think that I am trying to create something unique of my own. But I am inspired by the old Impressionists Masters with their use of brush strokes and colour. Degas, Van Gough, Renoir, Monet… they lived for their art right till the end!

What else defines you (other than painting)?

Sculpture, music, photography, film, – some of the other things that are on the horizon.

Along with my artistic journey, there is my spiritual journey: to know my own spiritual self.

If you could travel anywhere with three people, dead or alive, where would it be, who would it be and why?

1. 500 years ago a great saint, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, travelled throughout India on a spiritual pilgrimage visiting all the holy places. It would have been an amazing experience to join him on that journey.

I have always felt that England is my home but India is my spiritual home. I love the arts, the music, and the humour of British culture which is unique. I can’t live without it, but for my spiritual journey I would travel to India. Not just for its spirituality but also for its abundance of colour and amazing architecture, wherever you go.

2. Hang out with James Dean on the set of his movies. He had that magic on screen that is very rare.

3. Go on a survival trip to Africa with Bear Grylls! I love animals and nature. It would be a far out trip to do some of the crazy things he does.

Thank You

Tell us a bit about your studio and how your working day usually runs?

When I arrive I usually sit for a bit, studying the work, almost immediately I know if it’s right, the signals come flooding in, and I construct and manipulate. I don’t work from an elevated place looking down; if its low, then i’m in a ditch with them and by painting them i’m trying to dig us out together. I’m trying to keep it quite dangerous. I never have models, if the work is moving it’s because it’s just in there. I work in the morning as my energy level is best then. If it’s going well, it can be incredibly uplifting. It’s strange afterwards when I look at it and i ask ‘what have i done?’. Only later it becomes part of a larger understanding.

Your medium is primarily in oil paint and charcoal, tell us why you like using these materials?

Charcoal is my medium, from college i knew that. For me it has the ability to transform my subject matter, the detail and softness is essential to make the marks that are right for me. i have always had the dichotomy of do i just stay with the drawing, is that enough or shall I obscure by painting? The answer was for me leave some of the drawing and paint some. Moving to oils from acrylics was a revelation, learning all the time, but oils do have that magic sense of opening a jewel, and I think the paintings reflect this.

You use a lot of animal imagery in your work, is there any symbolism in this?

Animals are hugely important to me. I would love it if in the real world we could merge their senses and ours, linked together would be magic. The symbolism is there and for me a joint merging would be perfect. Lorca has a wonderful poem which deals with the hearts of little animals who are forgotten.

“I denounce all those who ignore the other half, the irredeemable half, who raise their mountains of cement, where beat the hearts of little animals who are forgotten and where we shall all go down in the jamboree of drills”.

The human and animal relationship has been a continuous inspiration in civilisation throughout the ages. The subject holds many worldly legends and remains present in modern day story telling. ‘Amalgamation’ features eight artists who are seeking to express new levels of engagement within the primal connection between man and beast.

The artists’ imagined characters tell stories that stimulate an emotional response. Often humourous, sometimes uneasy, but always intriguing… what is the story and who is telling it?

ONLINE CATALOGUE

Adele Underwood’s animal masks cover the faces of their subjects to hide the difficulty of revealing their imbalances or awakenings to sexuality.

Cedric Laquieze creates beautifully exquisite fairy warriors from found materials, including animal and bird skeletons and dead insects and plants.

Sharron Bishop comments on the issues of environmental damage due to constant property development and the loss of habitat to wildlife.

Tom Mead is driven by his obsession and childhood fear of anthropomorphism. His work is a cathartic process to release his inner nightmares.

Beth Carter creates an installation of pure fantasy where the many interpretative opportunities  challenges the sensitivity of the adult child.

John Simpson references the world of folk tale and myth in his drawings and prints, creating imagery that is both unnerving and enchanting.

Diggy brings to life characters and creations of dream and sub-conscious. Quirky faces and an obsession with hands add a sense of mystery.

Louis Masia Michel’s characters depicted in the series, “A tale of unfortunate sins”, have committed murder and an extraordinary story unfolds.

Amalgamation opens with a private view on Thursday 12th January 2012 and runs to March 4th.

I basically grew up in an artist studio since my mum was a painter working and teaching from her home studio. Through my family I had a great creative support from a very young age, but I’ve also had some encouraging teachers throughout my high school years, and finally my degree from The Glasgow School of Art steered my on the right path.

What do you find is the most rewarding part of being an artist?

The freedom involved with creative expression and the process of creating. Working with your hands creating something out of nothing, directly with your own hands, that’s very rewarding to me.

If any, who are the main influences and inspiration in your work?

I see a lot of really great work by other artists all the time, going to shows or just browsing the internet or books. However, I don’t really have a favourite artist in particular. What I find most interesting is looking at how other artists engage with their subjects or materials. I become inspired by the process involved in creating of a piece of work rather than the final output. Recently, I have looked at artist like Wim Delvoye, Scott Campbell, Maskull Lasserre and Markus Hofer.

Do you have expectations of what you hope your viewer takes from your work?

I hope my work can trigger a response or at least an emotional reaction.

If my work can communicate outwards and exist on its own after it leaves my studio and enters a gallery context, I’ve reached my goal.

Do you listen to music whilst you work?

I listen to all sorts of music when I work. Anything from old school hip-hop labels like Stone Throw Records to Ethiopian jazz and Japanese folk.

At what point did you start working onto skulls, do you pick certain species for a particular reason?

I’ve have an obsession with skulls, and they have been a part of my work for a long time. As a kid I collected the skulls I found in the woods where I grew up and I’ve kept these skulls in my studio since then. So you can say there is a sort of geographical as well as personal connection to the species I choose to work on.

I still work mostly on flat paper, but find it interesting to take the elements from my drawings to a 3-dimensional object. Drawing onto skulls with a curvy texture and a readymade connotation transforms both the drawing and the medium.

What are your favorite mediums to work in?

I work with many different media all the time, different inks, pens, tattoo needles and other hand tools. However my favorite medium or tool will always be a pencil. I prefer the simple nature of rendering with the pencil as well as the visual aesthetics, black and white. In the end its more a question of whatever works.

Do you have a favourite place that you have traveled to in the world?

I spent some time in Indonesia when I was younger. It’s an amazing place both in terms of nature and culture. I recently received a travel grant for a specific research project in Bali relating to the “Batuan” tradition, so I’m looking forward to going back.

Thank you.

The art pavilion showcased work from a handful of contemporary galleries. It was particularly exciting for View to be selected as we were the only UK based gallery outside of London. The art on display ranged from “slacker art,” whose title definitely lives up to its appearance, to video montages, photographs, painting, sculpture and even an axe mounted into the wall.

Several recognised figures drawn from cultural, artistic and intellectual arenas were invited to contribute such as Serpentine director Hans-Ulrich Obrist, quoted by the Guardian newspaper as “the most powerful man in the international art world.” In addition, the arguably controversial artist Jake Chapman took part in several heated discussions which proved entertaining to watch (although I’m not sure artist Matthew Stone who bore the brunt of Chapman’s abuse would agree).

We felt that the tranquil, bohemian setting created by the tepee-shaped tents, relaxing music, open barbeques and eclectic mix of décor provided a successful and appropriate backdrop to the event. The peppercorn steaks, mulled wine and ginger cake also quickly became favourite features of our day!

Despite the success of the relaxed ambience produced by the venue, the longer we spent at the Festival, the more conversations we overheard and people-watching we did, the more signs of an elitist and cliquey event emerged. We soon recognised that the food tent had materialised into the place for self promotion. Loud conversations about who had just bought which Rembrandt could be witnessed over a trio of hot soups and people began showcasing their recently purchased galleries over the organic rack of lamb.

Our concern going into the event was whether the philosophy of the festival was aligned to our own. We wish to make art accessible to everyone, we don’t wish to join or support the elitist cliques that distance themselves from the emerging, but less ‘educated’ art-lover. It was encouraging to see local visitors meandering among the art society, but under the surface there was a quite an obvious divide. It was also encouraging to hear a debate on the accessibility of art and galleries in a corner of one of the tents (as soon as the video is published we will be listening again to the arguments). It was perhaps pertinent that the talk was attended by one of the smallest audiences of the weekend.

It was a dynamic weekend full of eccentric figures, and an experience we would like to repeat, at least as visitors if not exhibitors. There was a beautifully created setting, a relaxed environment, and enough cultural stimulus for the average art-lover. The organisers did their utmost to please and we are still discussing some of the issues and experiences, weeks later.

Two quotes we overheard struck a chord with us… “a cultural overload, I am totally inspired” and ”this event is as much about being seen than seeing”.

Photos of Crunch 2011

On entering, the viewer was greeted by a table of perfectly presented glasses of champagne aptly placed in the shape of an H, improved further by being served by Harveys’ dashing bar staff!

Once through the doors, Youd’s electrifying figures took an immediate effect. The contrast between his modern, striking women painted in intensely vibrant colours and the location; basement cellars 200 years old seemed ironically pertinent.

Youd’s enigmatic titles – women’s names all with question marks after them were a prominent topic of conversation, although not everyone’s speculations were as above board as others! Also entertaining was overhearing which of the distinctive personalities evident in these figures were people’s favourites. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the teasing, seductive beauty of Carly? appealed to a large proportion of the male viewers, whereas women seemed more taken with Amy?’s demure humility.

The gallery itself, comprising of two rooms joined together by a wooden tunnel against a backdrop of old Bristol Harveys Cream bottles, projects an informal atmosphere. People are able to wander freely through each section of the venue, from the gallery through to the cocktail lounge and sherry bar with sofas in various spots enabling comfortable viewing of the art work.

Suitable to the venue, the drink of choice for the evening was “Harveys over ice with a slice of orange.” This refreshing drink was given a modern twist with flamed orange peel which creates a mist of essential oils to cover the top of the drink adding an extra dimension of citrus flavour to the drink.

With its array of delights on offer and charmingly intimate setting, I can confidently say that you will not regret slipping away from your usual venues on Park Street for this little gem.

I was certainly born with an inescapable desire to paint and draw and my most vivid childhood memories involve creativity in some form or another. I was never going to be an athlete or a sportsman, I would find any excuse to get off the school playing field and into the art classroom. I was never particularly academic, I spent more time doodling in the margins of my History homework than actually doing the homework, but looking back I realise that I wasn’t the easily distracted child the teachers reported me to be but that I was driven then by the same urge I feel  today; to get my imagination onto paper.

When I left school it was natural for me to pursue a career centred around drawing and as a draughtsman I developed a very disciplined, methodical approach to my work and scratched my creative itch by taking great pride in the appearance of a well layed out design with a distinctive lettering style. Technical work is all about the efficient communication of ideas, unfortunately not the kind of ideas my imagination was continuing to produce, and when computers replaced drawing boards and inky fingers I began to devote more and more time to advancing my painting skills until, one day, I realised that I was lucky enough to be making a full-time living as an artist.

Could you clarify what the “influences” and “intuition” contributing to your series currently on exhibition at View are?

I have always been influenced by visual media from so many different sources, as a child it was comics like 2000AD, then book and record covers, movies and their posters. Later I would study the work of artists like Escher, Dali, Uglow, Shiele, Mucha and the Art Nouveau movement, fashion illustraton, photographers such as Lillian Bassman and Mick Rock. Calligraphy, architecture, sculpture, I have so many influences that in order to create something uniquely my own I feel I must deliberately ignore them all when I work and rely on my intution.

I begin by drawing the pose from a photo reference and letting the character that emerges on the paper dictate where to go from there, it’s almost automatic, I try to shut out conscious thought by concentrating on music while working, that way my imagination can have free reign and I love being surprised by what I have drawn. I often repeat the drawing process many times for any one painting and I have folders stuffed full of sketches. At this point I decide on the right sketch to develop, using my draughting skills to refine the drawing, ensuring balance in the composition and only transferring the design to the canvas when I feel it click, that’s when I know I have a strong foundation for the painting to come.

I use a subconscious approach again during parts of the painting process, for example I allow the floral designs within some pieces to grow organically and I rely on that same feeling, the trusted intuition, to tell me where individual words or floods of writing belong in the piece, if at all.

A painting is only complete when I feel that click again, a sense that this is the right time to stop and further work won’t necessarily help communicate the emotion or improve the look of the piece. It’s a few days after that when I begin to analyse the work, understanding the links between recent paintings and reflecting on how my influences have made themselves evident.

Why did you use graphic portraits to capture transient feelings and emotions as opposed to other media?

I find portraits to be the most satisfying challenge facing myself as an artist, but they also offer a great freedom of expression. I used to want to paint the most realistic face possible, to compete with the camera, but I came to believe that more fun could be had by stylising the portrait, playing with the fact we can recognise two dots and a curve as a face, and further, that the orientation of that curve can depict emotion. By working somewhere between those two extremes I am also able to amuse myself with positive and negative shapes and the visual illusions they can create, explore the different levels within the picture plane, and provoke the viewer to participate in the portrait rather than simply observe.

What do you want people to walk away with after they view your art?

I hope people are initially struck by the beauty of the character and are drawn closer into the detail of the work as if they are drawn into the mind of the subject. When the viewer turns away from the painting I hope the impression of the image and the spark of emotion they felt while viewing it stays with them, like a bright light on the back of the eyelids. As that light fades, they will have experienced my one act theatre and I may have the subject of another painting.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?

I love hearing the reactions people have to my paintings, I like to know why a certain piece is their favourite, who or what it reminds them of, why they may feel a sense of a particular era. I enjoy answering questions about the work as it means people are engaging with it, I want them to be curious about the intentionally ambiguous meanings in a painting because they are beginning to form their own ideas about it, and that curiosity often brings them to conclusions I could never have anticipated. Ultimately though, the most memorable response any artist can receive to a piece of work is a sale but I recently had a young artist describe my work as inspiriational and that’s an amazing compliment.

If you were stuck on a desert island with 3 artists, who would you like them to be and why?

I find these kinds of questions so difficult to answer, how can I possibly choose?

OK, after much deliberation, my first castaway friend would be Charles Rennie Mackintosh. I have long admired his architectural drawings and his ability to apply an instantly recogniseable style to many different forms of art from landscape painting to interior design. I hope he would bring his wife, Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh too, her gloriously intricate gesso panels are a favourite of mine. It would be rude not invite the remaining members of the Glasgow Four, Margaret’s sister Frances and her husband, Herbert MacNair.

The Belgian surrealist, René Magritte would be my second (no wait, fifth) choice. I love the humour in his paintings and his work clearly has a strong influence on many other artists that I also admire but can’t bring to the island without bending the rules beyond breaking point. Magritte liked to bend rules of reality though, I’m sure he’d find a way of bringing some more friends along too.

My last choice would be the filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott, in my opinion he is a modern master, a visionary creator of worlds. Of course, in order to apply his craft he would need to bring a cast and crew, and since this is my desert island I’d ask him to bring those involved in Blade Runner – My favourite movie. I’d be happy sharing an island with Daryl Hannah and Han Solo, it would also mean I get to meet conceptual artists Chris Foss and Syd Mead and the poster illustrator Drew Struzan. Getting all these people to the island would be quite a logistical problem, we’d need an airport, and with that we could all enjoy a good holiday and I could get back to the studio after a couple of weeks.

As you are based in Caerphilly, does the South-West hold particular resonance for you?

There is so much magnificent scenery right on my doorstep; Brecon, Clifton, our coastlines, they’re all so breathtaking I almost feel guilty for painting portraits not landscapes. It’s true that I spent my formative years in and around London and I still feel its gravitational pull, but I’ve lived in this area for seven years now, it has become very dear to me and there is one word that resonates for me above all others – Home.

Finally, do you aspire for your work to meet a need?

Aside from the very real-world needs of mortgage payments and energy bills that everyone’s work must meet, I come back to my first answer, I need to exercise (or exorcise?) my creativity. When I’m not actually drawing or painting I am planning to do so, and if I’m forced to concentrate on something else I become increasingly uncomfortable the more time I have to spend away from the studio. I need to work.

Thank you.