My paintings and sculptures move between figuration and abstraction. The rich history and landscape of my rural home, high in the North Pennines is a compelling influence. Traces of human and animal existence and endeavour – past and present – that define this landscape, play into the central theme underpinning the work: life’s continuous cycle, struggles and triumphs. Paper is my medium for the paintings and a start point for the sculptures; its fragility and robustness is intrinsic to my explorations of the subject matter. Approaching the painting process as a sculptor (my initial training), the dual processes of painting directly onto the base and occasionally attaching additional painted elements to this surface, resonate directly with both the qualities of the medium and the subject .And the sculptures often begin with paper explorations before developing later into more enduring media, like iron resin and concrete.