April 2026

What are the messages behind my work and what really inspires me?

On the face of it these could be simple questions with simple answers but I do like to search for deeper meaning in things beyond what you see on the surface. I'm also inspired by different things depending on where I am, who I'm with and what ideas I may connect together in the moment. When my mind is in 'idea mode' I seem to have a constant stream of concepts but I'm not able to act on every single one.

I used to see this way of thinking as a problem as I felt like I wasn't able to keep up with all my ideas, which led me to feeling as if I was 'behind' on my work. I don't know if it's because I've got more confident in who I am, or I'm more aware that my brain just likes to come up with ideas, that I really see that as a positive now.

These kinds of thoughts have allowed me to create art with a golf tee, inspired by my time playing and watching golf, a landscape painted entirely with a sponge and landscapes and abstracts painted directly on to Harris Tweed. They have also helped me create expressionist work, abstract landscapes, seascapes, collages, and more detailed drawings of buildings and landscapes as well as murals.

Given the different things I create, and that inspiration can be different in the moment, I believe that each piece of art I create carries a different message and a different story. One message that rings true across all my work is the belief that art has the power to make us feel lighter, and hopefully happier when we create from a position of our own self-expression. When we create with an open-mindset we can not only make space for more joy in our own lives, but with the people around us.

If you've been following me for a few years, you may remember that I used to say that we all have 'a' story. I now realise that it is far more effective and far more rich to say we all have lots of stories. If we live life through a limited narrative, to say that we only have one story I can now see as very limiting not only for our outlook on art, but our outlook on life.