I am inspired by the energy in the sea and sky, and the relentless wind, waves and weather around the Orkney coastline.

My paintings are a response to the experiences of walking, swimming and kayaking at the edges of the land and sea. I aim to capture the atmosphere, sensations and emotions a place has inspired, rather than a representational image. I use sketchbooks outdoors as a tool for looking, and for gathering marks, colours, and shapes, but once back in the studio I work mostly from memory, often compressing aspects of a place at different times of day and tide, and seasons and weather.

The human and natural history, place-names and folktales, maps and charts associated with the coastline of Orkney are elements which infuse the development of new work.

Trips to the North West Highlands of Scotland, and other places in the North Atlantic periphery such as Faroe Islands, Iceland and St Kilda are tracked back to the studio and leave their traces in my work.

I work on paper, canvas and wood panel using a mixture of media including acrylic, oil pastel, ink, graphite. I often create tools for mark making and mixtures for painting using materials I gather on my journeys.