My fascination with architecture is probably the result of an urban childhood in south London where houses and streets were the landscapes of my daily walks to school and where, as I grew into a teenager, my weekend exercise was shopping in newly built centres. Green spaces were regulated gardens or commons where the horizon was broken by nearby Edwardian terraces and council flats. Now when I see a terrace of solidly built houses or the regular patterns of rows of windows and balconies, I want to record their symmetrical patterns which give me a feeling of solidity and security that no doubt stems back to those early safe and happy days.
Another pre-
My main consuming passion however is colour and design. I have always been seduced by gorgeous fabrics in wonderful rich colours and have devoted long hours to making curtains and cushions for the many homes I have lived in over the years. I had a passion for William Morris fabrics when younger and am probably influenced very much by his colour sense and symmetry, finding that I often want to re-
In recent years my focus has switched to the natural world and I have become fascinated by botanical art. I strive to emphasise the wonderful designs and colours in nature while at the same time stylising my work to give it a contemporary feel. In this way my work emulates that of the designer William Morris who used natural forms to bring style and colour to interior design at the end of the 19th century. He was continuing a tradition of wallart, popular in 18th century French chateaux and English stately homes, which not only depicted classical mythology but also celebrated the romance of the natural world, with wall panels and tapestry echoing the views from the windows of gardens designed by Capability Brown and others. Recently interior design companies such as de Gourney have revived this fashion using modern printing techniques to create wall panels that depict classical scenes to compliment modern interiors, an idea I try to replicate in recent paintings. I have also been inspired by the work of Henri Rousseau who, in spite of never visiting the Tropics, produced a wonderful series of ‘Jungle’ paintings inspired by the botanical gardens and parks of early 20th century Paris, works I was lucky enough to see in all their amazing vibrancy when I visited the Musee D’Orsay recently. His paintings are particularly appropriate for modern interiors, echoing the colours and designs of the latest fabrics and wallpapers, many of which, like my work, aim to evoke the harmony and excitement of the natural world.
Stamford 1 |
Stamford 2 |
Stamford Archive |
Still Life |
Burghley House |
St. Pancras |
Other Places |
Portraits |
Stamford Fantasy |