My abstract work encompasses the pure essence of texture, colour, and form. It continues to be influenced by my studies in textile design and my late father’s extensive art collection of antique carpets, wall hangings, icons and artifacts. I construct my canvases by adding various papers, fabrics, wax, and continue by distressing and reworking the canvas several times, revealing previous layers, much as a multi-coloured woven cloth. This method of peeling away the layers, and combining wax, acrylics and oil sticks, allows me to achieve a rich tactile effect.

When I look at my figurative paintings, I see women from the past – ladies in their skirts, women posing for paintings, women sitting and being proper. For me, these ladies are no longer sitting – they’re resolute, they’re far from perfect. They are powerful figures with a spiritual element. I use both gold and silver leaf paper in many of my paintings, most certainly influenced by the icons that were in my father’s art collection.

I am captivated by the essence of spontaneity, a quality that I believe is not always easy to maintain in a painting and yet is the single quality that allows you to feel the movement and life of a painting. It’s not always discernible but distinguishes between a successful piece of work and that which is not. As I approach my work intuitively, I like to observe the competing mediums on the canvas, while attaining a sense of control and balance.