Each work is a new journey of discovery in the search for a visual metaphor to give meaning to how I perceive the world.
Wherever I live is a major source of inspiration in terms of land, sea and skyscapes. Sumptuous colour and shifting patterns of light; sunlight "bleaching" out parts of the landscape or objects; and shadows, re-presenting what we thought we knew. These experiences of my environment enable me to "extract" those observably "abstract" elements which have been perceived as re-configured, and create that magic and excitement when encountering the visually unexpected.
The other major source of inspiration comes from exploring my Irish Catholic roots, and re-presenting memories of cultural and religious rituals and icons, alongside references to icons in Art History.
My work consists of assemblages/sculptures using both natural and man-made; mixed media paintings and drawings, and works in oil.
The assemblages/sculptures are "transfigurations" of found objects which have been discarded or "lost". The works evolve either through initial aesthetic responses to the dynamics of individual pieces, which are then assembled and take on a new life and meaning. Or, they are ideas based rooted in memory and experiences and result in sculptures that confront expectations and challenge the viewer, taking them beyond the familiar.
The paintings and drawings, both mixed media and oil, evolve through observational drawing, photographs and imagination. They are re-presentations of the subject matter through screened memories and experiences. they explore a sense of place, moment and time through colour, light and space, and the magical frisson of the unexpected.