Trees 1 on the South Tynedale Railway

This painting is of a clump of trees on the path alongside the South Tynedale Railway in Alston. They are very tall and the view is from close up - looking up through the canopy of the trees.

I make my work from a combination of first hand observational drawings and paintings in the open air, backed up by photos as aide memoirs back in the studio, as well as imagination to produce a final piece on canvas using mixed media, a combination of oil paint, non-recyclable plastics either collaged or ‘soldered’ onto the canvas, and pastel.

I want people to enjoy my images and to perhaps re look at their own environment through a more vibrant lens, but then on closer inspection to discover the different materials on the canvas and ask questions as to why I use plastic; why it is there. I want the discovery of plastic on the canvas to be as subtle as it is in the environment – not really understanding its greater impact at first, but when given the time to contemplate its wider effects, to think beyond the surface, beyond the beauty.