I studied fine art at the University of Humberside and gained an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art in 1994. I am currently working towards a practice-based PhD in fine art at Anglia Ruskin University.
I mostly work on a small scale, in oil paint, and my recent paintings are on aluminium. I build up paint in thin layers and make compositions that have a sense of architectural space, using motifs borrowed from memory or invention. I paint through a process of improvisation, with a lot of removal and reworking, and I like to let the paint get in the way of being able to see anything too clearly. I work with muted colours, certain qualities of light, and a sense of quietness. I am more interested in not knowing, than I am in being certain of something.
I have exhibited my work widely and I have been involved in other projects too – drawing and installation, including a commission to design an architectural façade for a new building in 2013 .
I have been teaching for over 20 years and work as a senior lecturer at Leeds Arts University. I am also an academic consultant in fine art for the University of Hull. I have a PGCE and I am a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
