I paint to make something from nothing: to communicate my visions to others; to put people where I have been, on journeys to remote and beautiful parts of New Zealand. Like Anais Nin, I believe that art (writing, painting, music-----) provides us with the ‘anti toxins’ we need to live.

I paint because I want to record, communicate, recreate, create an idea, experience, object, landscape or and feeling. I believe art whether it be painting, music, drama etc can lift us out of everyday routine. Participation is the key; the doing or the viewing or the listening.

I strive to make beautiful and or challenging work. I enjoy putting things together; colours, shapes, lines; to make order from chaos. This involves decision making and when a work is going well there is a balance between freedom and control as the decision making becomes less conscious and more intuitive.

A finished piece must have a unity; it must say more than a photograph of the same object or landscape. It should also have impact; not necessarily a loud impact. The impact can be just as strong if it quiet, peaceful or still. Colour is important; so is light and dark.

I prefer a palette that is subdued but rich. I like the colour blue, but I use it sparingly as it can be very strong, for example cerulean. I use blues to make greys and greens. They have the qualities of purity, peace and depth. I would like my work to have these qualities too.

Although at times I have used pastels I am now painting in oils on linen. I like painting in oils because of their versatility. They can be opaque or transparent [glazes], and you can move them around on your canvas or wipe them off.

I put on several layers of paint and although this is time consuming it contributes to the richness of colour that I strive for.

I have several themes which tend to recur over time. These include rocks and water, nikau in their natural setting of our New Zealand bush and also some 'transitory' themes which are usually reactive [to some personal events in my life at that time].