[Below are the works I exhibited the Pepper St gallery, Magill, in May, 2013. For my comments on how it all went, see my Post for INSPACE-May, 2013.]

Drawing has always been my first preference in the creation of my art pieces, as I regard constant drawing from observation as the basis for all art works, both realistic and abstract. Drawing gives me an immediate and spontaneous interpretation of my world, or of an idea. The choice of media such as soft graphite, oil stick, pastel and charcoal for me are the most suitable means for a bold visual statement.

However, for this exhibition I chose to work with oils, acrylics, lumicolour pencil and fabrics to extend my drawings into paintings. The limited use of colour and monochromatic schemes of most of the work reflects this transition.

I have endeavoured to reflect the concepts of stillness and sense of place, by focusing on small and seemingly unimportant objects. As I explore the ‘calm and quiet space inside’ that this concentration provides, painting becomes a kind of meditation.

Most of the work in this exhibition was executed in Cambridge, England, revisited for nine weeks earlier this year. The weather was cold and grey, with occasional snow showers that persisted until the last days of March. The elegance of the architectural environment of this beautiful university city has always enchanted me, as do the subtleties of English culture. The practicalities of transport and working conditions determined the size of my work and choice of material, and I have endeavoured to reflect some of this experience within this body of work.

As a result, an unexpected precision and attention to detail are evident in the finished pieces. Perhaps the restrictions of the weather, social protocols and weight of history had more influence than I thought at the time!

I am looking forward to releasing more energy into work for a solo exhibition at the end of the year.

[Click on any of thumbnails below to view the entire gallery in larger size, and from there to an even larger size. And I have discovered that the best way to navigate from the gallery back to this page is simply to click on the gallery window itself, rather than try the normal Windows navigation arrows.]