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Why
I started painting
What originally began as a watercolour hobby whilst studying at Middlesborough
College of Art soon transformed itself into a passion for landscape.
I visited the far north west of Scotland during my studies on a
number of occasions and was immediately captivated by its rugged,
windswept vistas and stark uncompromising beauty. After moving
to the Highlands some twenty five years ago the scenery of Sutherland
has been my primary source of inspiration ever since.
My technique
I employ quite an unconventional watercolour technique, using Procian dye instead
of more traditional watercolours. I paint on cartridge
paper, and the drawing once complete, I soak, and stretch before I begining painting. The finished original is then secured to the mount using strong double sided adhesive tapeThis ensures that
the paper retains its tension allowing me to apply successive washes of thin
colour, a key technique in my subsea paintings. You
can see some of my landscapes here.
Paintings
of the oil industry
Life has a habit of throwing unexpected opportunities your way, and it wasn't
without some trepidation that I embarked on a career in the oil industry. As
the pilot of an ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) I found myself privy to the unseen
world of deepsea engineering and industry. Fascinated by what I saw, I wondered
what it would be like to paint some of the strange, otherworldly scenes I witnessed
in the course of my work. That was how I began drawing, sketching and painting
my subsea paintings. At once both accurate representations of the work environments
of the global oil industry, they are also evocative and atmospheric watercolours
in their own right. You can see some of my subsea
paintings here. |
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