Archive

Acrylic on linen on board
Anodised aluminium frame
408mm x 306mm (including frame)
2021
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated on the back, ready to hang

Playing with perception of form and three-dimensionality on a flat surface, and doing it with the minimum of elements. Paring it down.

The Shadow Forms series of paintings are inspired by the ordinary and mundane - shadows noticed in the everyday world, mostly outside from the built environment on a sunny winters day, when the sun is low and the shadows are deep. They are the sorts of things often not noticed, but that help to define the three dimensions of the world in which we move.

Acrylic on linen on board
Anodised aluminium frame
410mm x 307mm (including frame)
2021
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated on the back, ready to hang

Playing with perception of form and three-dimensionality on a flat surface, and doing it with the minimum of elements. Paring it down.

The Shadow Forms series of paintings are inspired by the ordinary and mundane - shadows noticed in the everyday world, mostly outside from the built environment on a sunny winters day, when the sun is low and the shadows are deep. They are the sorts of things often not noticed, but that help to define the three dimensions of the world in which we move.

The ‘pole green’ in the title of this one refers to the colour of a pole outside my front door - it is the colour of the green stripe in this painting. The combination of this colour and the repeated stripe pattern is symbolic of the shadows I see outside, cast by the railing on the deck beside my front porch.

This painting is currently unavailable.

Acrylic on linen on board
Anodised aluminium frame
410mm x 307mm (including frame)
2021
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated on the back, ready to hang

Playing with perception of form and three-dimensionality on a flat surface, and doing it with the minimum of elements. Paring it down.

The Shadow Forms series of paintings are inspired by the ordinary and mundane - shadows noticed in the everyday world, mostly outside from the built environment on a sunny winters day, when the sun is low and the shadows are deep. They are the sorts of things often not noticed, but that help to define the three dimensions of the world in which we move.

Acrylic on raw linen on board
Anodised aluminium frame
410mm x 307mm (including frame)
2021
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated on the back, ready to hang

Playing with perception of form and three-dimensionality on a flat surface, and doing it with the minimum of elements. Paring it down.

The Shadow Forms series of paintings are inspired by the ordinary and mundane - shadows noticed in the everyday world, mostly outside from the built environment on a sunny winters day, when the sun is low and the shadows are deep. They are the sorts of things often not noticed, but that help to define the three dimensions of the world in which we move.

Acrylic paint on board
Framed in Beech
200mm x 300mm (including frame = 227 x 327mm)
2021
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated on the back, ready to hang

Playing with perception of form and three-dimensionality on a flat surface. I see part of a letterbox slot with angles surfaces around it. Others see it differently - I like that, let your brain interpret it however you want to!

This is one of three small paintings produced at the same time. See also ‘Fire Exit’ and ‘Peephole’.

Read more about the thoughts and influences behind this series of paintings on this page about the entire Winter Shadows series.

Acrylic paint on shaped mdf board
229mm x 268mm x 5mm (sits 20mm out from wall)
2019
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated, ready to hang

Pitch has two siblings Awning and Gable. They work really nicely as a group if you have a bigger space to fill!

This piece is a continuation of something I started playing with last year. I have a real love of monochrome, pared back simplicity - not that you would guess it from all of my other colourful work! I actually find this sort of simplicity really challenging. It looks easy, but looks can be deceiving. There’s nowhere to hide when it doesn’t quite work, even more so than with my coloured pieces.

Gable, Awning and Pitch all have a coloured glow behind them, reflecting off the wall. They work best on a very pale wall, and the glow changes slightly as the lighting conditions change. There is a subtle surface texture and very fine lifework that hopefully show well in the very close-up image.

Hang it using the split batten mounting system supplied to firmly attach to the wall so it can't move and become crooked, or you can hang it on a small picture hook using a cord.

Signed on an edge.

Acrylic paint on shaped mdf board
229mm x 268mm x 5mm (sits 20mm out from wall)
2019
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated, ready to hang

Gable (and it’s siblings Awning and Pitch) is a continuation of something I started playing with last year. I have a real love of monochrome, pared back simplicity - not that you would guess it from all of my other colourful work! I actually find this sort of simplicity really challenging. It looks easy, but looks can be deceiving. There’s nowhere to hide when it doesn’t quite work, even more so than with my coloured pieces.

Gable, Awning and Pitch all have a coloured glow behind them, reflecting off the wall. They work best on a very pale wall, and the glow changes slightly as the lighting conditions change.

Hang it using the split batten mounting system supplied to firmly attach to the wall so it can't move and become crooked - ideal for people who live in earthquake prone countries like I do, and who are offended by crooked paintings! Or alternatively you can hang it on a picture hook using a cord.

Signed on an edge.

Acrylic paint on board
Framed in Beech
200mm x 300mm (including frame = 227 x 327mm)
2021
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated on the back, ready to hang

Playing with perception of form and three-dimensionality on a flat surface. I see little peephole with angled surfaces around it. When I told my son why had given it this name, he couldn’t see that at all, his interpretation was completely different - I like that everyone reads these paintings differently.

This is one of three small paintings produced at the same time. See also ‘Fire Exit’ and ‘Letterbox’.

Read more about the thoughts and influences behind this series of paintings on this page about the entire Winter Shadows series.

Currently available at Muse Art Gallery.

Acrylic paint on shaped mdf board
320mm x 242mm x 5mm (sits 20mm out from wall)
2020
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated, ready to hang

‘Porch’ is part of the Orbit exhibition at Poimena Gallery from 11th March - 6th May 2021, in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia - part of the Ten Days on the Island Festival.

This sculptural painting/wall sculpture was inspired by the shapes and shadows at my front porch. It mounts off the surface of the wall, creating a drop shadow that alters with the changing lighting conditions, adding an extra dimension to the work. It responds really well to being lit by a spotlight or sunlight.

It is painted entirely by hand, apart from the final protective varnish, which was sprayed to give it a very even finish. The end result is a painting that appears to be very precise, but on closer inspection small brush marks and faint imperfections of a hand-crafted item are apparent - the hand of the artist is visible!

Hang it using the split batten mounting system supplied to firmly attach to the wall so it can't move and become crooked - ideal for people who live in earthquake prone countries like I do, and who are offended by crooked paintings! Or alternatively you can hang it on a picture hook using a cord.

Signed on an edge.

Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
356 x 314 mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish

Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.

Quite often I use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Billow is one of those variants - it is the same outer shape as Pocket and 90 Degrees.

Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape.

Billow has some nice edge detail colours that most of the other small paintings don’t have - I’m really happy with how they turned out, and I think I will explore more of this idea on small paintings in the future.

Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
356 x 314 mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish

Part of my solo exhibition ‘Indefinite’ at Pataka Art + Museum, Porirua from December 18th 2020 - January 31st 2021.

Painted by hand, without the aid of masking tape.

Quite often I use the same shape of board for several different paintings, playing with achieving a different perceived three-dimensional form within the same outer shape. Pocket is one of those variants - it is the same outer shapes as Billow and 90 Degrees.

Acrylic paint on shaped mdf board
221mm x 293mm x 5mm (sits 20mm out from wall)
2020
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated, ready to hang

This painting was selected as a finalist in the Wellington Regional Arts Review 2020.

Scorched Lawn is another in a growing series of paintings based on a single shape - sometimes flipped or rotated, but always the same outside shape. The Iceberg series are all based on this same cutout shape as well, so is Expand and Lawn.

I really enjoy playing with a single shape and seeing how different I can make it, and what sort of forms can appear to grow from the same basic starting point.

This sculptural painting/wall sculpture is mounted off the surface of the wall, creating a drop shadow that alters with the changing lighting conditions, adding an extra dimension to the work. It responds really well to being lit by a spotlight or sunlight.

It is painted entirely by hand, apart from the final protective varnish, which was sprayed to give it a very even finish. The end result is a painting that appears to be very precise, but on closer inspection small brush marks and faint imperfections of a hand-crafted item are apparent - the hand of the artist is visible!

Hang it using the split batten mounting system supplied to firmly attach to the wall so it can't move and become crooked - ideal for people who live in earthquake prone countries like I do, and who are offended by crooked paintings! Or alternatively you can hang it on a picture hook using a cord.

Signed on an edge.

Acrylic paint (hand painted) on 300mm diameter tondo board
300mm diameter x 18mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish

This is one of three round paintings I have in the Playtime 2020 annual christmas exhibition at Muse Art Gallery in Havelock North. Everything in the exhibition is under $500.

All three will be available to purchase from Muse Art Gallery at the preview opening 2pm on November 29th 2020. The exhibition runs from November 29th - December 13th. After the catalogue goes live on the Muse website it will be possible to purchase online.

Orbit 2 has a round cutout that glows yellow on the wall behind, creating an interesting effect that changes as the light changes in the room. The square orange recess is painted on the surface of the painting.

Acrylic paint (hand painted) on 300mm diameter tondo board
300mm diameter x 18mm
2020
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish

This is one of three round paintings I have in the Playtime 2020 annual christmas exhibition at Muse Art Gallery in Havelock North. Everything in the exhibition is under $500.

All three will be available to purchase from Muse Art Gallery at the preview opening 2pm on November 29th 2020. The exhibition runs from November 29th - December 13th. After the catalogue goes live on the Muse website it will be possible to purchase online.

Acrylic paint on shaped mdf board
320mm x 180mm x 5mm (sits 20mm out from wall)
2020
Signed and dated, ready to hang on split batten provided

This sculptural painting/wall sculpture is mounted off the surface of the wall, creating a drop shadow that alters with the changing lighting conditions, adding an extra dimension to the work. It responds really well to being lit by a spotlight or sunlight.

My small shaped paintings can either be hung on a standard picture hook, or you can use the mounting system supplied to firmly attach to the wall so it can't move and become crooked - ideal for people who live in earthquake prone countries like I do, and who are offended by crooked paintings!

Inside Out is painted entirely by hand, apart from the final protective varnish, which was sprayed to give it a very even finish. The end result is a painting that appears to be very precise, but on closer inspection small brush marks and faint imperfections of a hand-crafted item are apparent - the hand of the artist is visible!

Signed on an edge.

This painting was selected as a finalist in the New Zealand Painting and Printmaking Award 2020.

Acrylic paint on shaped mdf board
221mm x 293mm x 5mm (sits 20mm out from wall)
2019
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated, ready to hang

Lawn is one of a growing series of paintings based on a single shape - sometimes flipped or rotated, but always the same outside shape. The Iceberg series are all based on this same cutout shape as well, so is Expand.

I really enjoy playing with a single shape and seeing how different I can make it, and what sort of forms can appear to grow from the same basic starting point.

This sculptural painting/wall sculpture is mounted off the surface of the wall, creating a drop shadow that alters with the changing lighting conditions, adding an extra dimension to the work. It responds really well to being lit by a spotlight or sunlight.

It is painted entirely by hand, apart from the final protective varnish, which was sprayed to give it a very even finish. The end result is a painting that appears to be very precise, but on closer inspection small brush marks and faint imperfections of a hand-crafted item are apparent - the hand of the artist is visible!

Hang it using the split batten mounting system supplied to firmly attach to the wall so it can't move and become crooked - ideal for people who live in earthquake prone countries like I do, and who are offended by crooked paintings! Or alternatively you can hang it on a picture hook using a cord.

Signed on an edge.

Currently available at Muse Art Gallery, Havelock North. 

Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
965 x 835mm
2019
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish

This is one of a series of large shaped paintings / wall sculptures that I created especially for a solo exhibition at Muse Art Gallery in Hawke’s Bay, NZ. These are the first really large ones that I’ve made, and it was a bit daunting at first to go so big, and also pretty challenging - I work on a table, so getting back far enough to see if the pseudo-3D aspect was working was really tricky. Standing on a chair just didn’t cut it!

Fortunately, I’ve recently discovered that by using black and white photography I can analyse just the tones and get a really good feel for how successful it’s going to be. Apparently the brain registers tone before it registers colour, so when you catch a fleeting glance of a painting as you drive past a gallery window it’s the tones that your brain registers. And because tone defines form the b+w photo trick is really helpful! Plus, I can take a photo holding my camera up above my head and then look at it on a screen to analyse it (and compare it to what I originally designed).

These paintings are designed to be hung on a split batten that is screwed to the wall - this way of mounting allows it to sit our from the wall by about 18mm, creating a nice drop shadow, and also stops the painting from becoming crooked on the wall.

Because of the larger scale many of these large shaped paintings also have detail on the edge faces, something that is a departure from the small ones.

This painting was in my solo exhibition ‘Equivocal’. It is available at Muse Art Gallery in Havelock North.

Acrylic on shaped board
Unframed
860 x 1200mm
2019
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish

This is one of a series of large shaped paintings / wall sculptures that I created especially for a solo exhibition at Muse Art Gallery in Hawke’s Bay, NZ. These are the first really large ones that I’ve made, and it was a bit daunting at first to go so big, and also pretty challenging - I work on a table, so getting back far enough to see if the pseudo-3D aspect was working was really tricky. Standing on a chair just didn’t cut it!

Fortunately, I’ve recently discovered that by using black and white photography I can analyse just the tones and get a really good feel for how successful it’s going to be. Apparently the brain registers tone before it registers colour, so when you catch a fleeting glance of a painting as you drive past a gallery window it’s the tones that your brain registers. And because tone defines form the b+w photo trick is really helpful! Plus, I can take a photo holding my camera up above my head and then look at it on a screen to analyse it (and compare it to what I originally designed).

These paintings are designed to be hung on a split batten that is screwed to the wall - this way of mounting allows it to sit our from the wall by about 18mm, creating a nice drop shadow, and also stops the painting from becoming crooked on the wall.

Because of the larger scale many of these large shaped paintings also have detail on the edge faces, something that is a departure from the small ones.

This painting was in my solo exhibition ‘Equivocal’ at Muse Art Gallery in Havelock North.

Acrylic paint on shaped mdf board
356mm x 314mm x 5mm (sits 20mm out from wall)
2019
Signed and dated, ready to hang on split batten provided, or you can hang it on a picture hook by adding a cord.

I called this one Folly because it reminds me of those little buildings that large stately homes used to have in their surrounding land, which had no purpose other than to look lovely from a distance, or to provide a shelter just for sitting in. You probably see something completely different in it, but that is what came to my mind when I was naming it!

This sculptural painting/wall sculpture is mounted off the surface of the wall, creating a drop shadow that alters with the changing lighting conditions, adding an extra dimension to the work. It responds really well to being lit by a spotlight or sunlight.

It is painted entirely by hand, apart from the final protective varnish, which was sprayed to give it a very even finish. The end result is a painting that appears to be very precise, but on closer inspection small brush marks and faint imperfections of a hand-crafted item are apparent - the hand of the artist is visible!

The second image hopefully helps you to see the scale - ignore my apparently weirdly tiny feet - the arm holding it should help (I hope!).

You can hang it on a standard picture hook, or ideally use the mounting system supplied to firmly attach to the wall so it can't move and become crooked - ideal for people who live in earthquake prone countries like I do, and who are offended by crooked paintings! 

Signed on an edge.

This painting was in my solo exhibition ‘Equivocal’ at Muse Art Gallery in Havelock North.

Acrylic paint (hand painted) on 300mm diameter tondo board
300mm diameter x 18mm
2019
Signed, dated and ready to hang
Protected with an archival UV varnish

This is one of three round paintings I have in the Playtime 2019 christmas exhibition at Muse Art Gallery in Havelock North. Everything in the exhibition is under $500.

All three will be available to purchase from Muse Art Gallery at the preview opening 2pm on 1st December 2019. The exhibition runs from December 2nd - 16th.

‘On’ is painted entirely by hand, apart from the final protective varnish, which is sprayed to give it a very even finish. The end result is a painting that appears to be very precise, but on closer inspection small brush marks and faint imperfections of a hand-crafted item are apparent - the hand of the artist is visible!

Acrylic paint on shaped mdf board
220mm W x 290mm H x 5mm (sits 20mm out from wall)
2018
Signed and dated, ready to hang

This sculptural painting/wall sculpture is mounted off the surface of the wall, creating a drop shadow that alters with the changing lighting conditions, adding an extra dimension to the work. It responds really well to being lit by a spotlight or sunlight.

The Iceberg series is a continuation of my work exploring shadows, form and the perception or illusion of 3-dimensions.

Initially inspired by a photograph I took of Wellington harbour from the top of a hill on a very grey wintery day, the naming of this series came about after I fell down a bit of a rabbit-hole on the internet researching icebergs and their naming conventions. I wanted a set of names for these paintings that had a meaning and relevance, and that worked for a group of related paintings.

I live in New Zealand, close to Antarctica, where many of the world’s icebergs originate. Being near the South Pole we are also under the largest hole in the ozone layer, with the inherent problems that brings like fading of pretty much anything that is exposed to sunlight, and wicked sunburn (which means very high skin cancer rates). This in turn makes New Zealanders pretty familiar with the problems of global warming, especially as we are a small island nation with a massive coastline being affected by rising seawater levels.

In recent years extremely large icebergs have been forming in Antarctica. Each new iceberg is named using a convention which identifies where they broke away from, and whether they subsequently split from the original iceberg to form a new smaller one. I have named this series after the 7 largest icebergs to date, all formed since 1987.

Iceberg A-68 calved from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica in July 2017. It had a surface area of 5,800 km², twice the size of Luxembourg, and weighed one trillion tonnes. The calving of A-68 reduced the overall size of the Larsen C Ice Shelf by 12 percent.

This artwork can either be hung on a standard picture hook, or on a split batten if you want to firmly attach it to the wall so it can't move and become crooked - ideal for people who live in earthquake prone countries like I do, and who are offended by crooked paintings! 

It is painted entirely by hand, apart from the final protective varnish, which was sprayed to give it a very even finish. The end result is a painting that appears to be very precise, but on closer inspection small brush marks and faint imperfections of a hand-crafted item are apparent - the hand of the artist is visible!

Signed on an edge.

The entire Iceberg series is available at Gallery 57, Arundel, West Sussex, UK.

Acrylic on canvas
Framed with a timber tray frame
610x 610mm x 36mm
2017
Signed, dated and ready to hang

The original sketch for this was done while waiting at the airport on the way home from a family funeral. It was my first 'dark' painting, and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I've decided to keep it on my own wall for now, I can't part with it yet!

I really enjoy the very architectural forms of the 'shadows' and the way the (almost) white blocks appear to protrude from the surface.

The background on this one has a haziness that I hadn't used in previous paintings, which all had very flat colour. This was my fist experiment with introducing a more painterly background, contrasting the crisp, precise, solid shapes with a very hand-painted background. I like the contrast of the two, and the more obvious 'hand of the maker'.

In terms of my own style, I have a need for precision but I also want my work to be obviously created by hand - it's a bit contradictory, but the fun is in getting that balance just right. I'm happy with the balance in this one!

Protected with an isolation coat and a satin varnish.

SOLD - or more accurately I’m keeping this one for myself!

Acrylic on raw linen on board
Anodised aluminium frame
410mm x 307mm (including frame)
2021
Protected with an archival UV varnish
Signed and dated on the back, ready to hang

Playing with perception of form and three-dimensionality on a flat surface, and doing it with the minimum of elements. Paring it down.

The Shadow Forms series of paintings are inspired by the ordinary and mundane - shadows noticed in the everyday world, mostly outside from the built environment on a sunny winters day, when the sun is low and the shadows are deep. They are the sorts of things often not noticed, but that help to define the three dimensions of the world in which we move.

This particular painting was developed from a shaped painting that I made previously, playing on the same forms. My previous work is often incorporated into my new work, though it’s always immediately obvious unless you know.

You can currently view (and buy) this painting at Muse Art Gallery in Havelock North.

Acrylic on canvas
Framed in Tasmanian Oak
460 x 460mm x 36mm
2017
Signed, dated and ready to hang

One of our family's favourite places to go for a summer holiday is Hawkes Bay, on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. We have a favourite holiday house on the outskirts of the beautiful town of Havelock North that we like to rent to get away from it all It's in the middle of fields, beside a river, but still walking or cycling distance to cafes and a great supermarket. Perfect! 

Hawke’s Bay has some of the most reliably lovely summer weather and long sunshine hours, and is stunningly beautiful (like most of New Zealand!). 

Our holidays there always involve lots of sun, blue skies, beaches and swimming. The summer when I painted these two paintings Hawke’s Bay was having a severe drought, in stark contrast to Wellington, where we live, which was having the coldest, wettest summer in years. Driving from the lush greens of the Wellington area to the dry ochres and blue skies of the Hawke’s Bay region was such a change. 

This painting is the result of this holiday, and evokes memories for me of a happy family holiday in hot sun, in one of my happy places. You can read (and see) more about the inspiration for this painting in a blog post I wrote here.

Acrylic on canvas
610 x 610 x 36mm
Framed with a Tasmanian oak tray frame
2017
Signed, dated and ready to hang

This was painted after a particularly difficult month for our family, with the deaths of two close family members and an old family friend. Three funerals in a month (and in mid-winter too) was far too many!

I painted this as a way to express the loss at that time, and to remember not just those three people but other loved ones as well. The colours remind me very much of my grandma, and my father, both people who left us several years ago and are never forgotten. This painting to me evokes a feeling of peace and calm, and the shadows hint at the sun starting to come out again.

This was painted entirely by hand, no masking tape used. I prefer to avoid masking tape because I dislike the little ridge that it usually leaves behind . . . and it adds to the challenge, considering that I strive for precision!

There is subtle change in surface finish (gloss/matt) on the horizontal of the 'cross' shape, but sadly it hasn't shown up well in these photographs. I will have to take some more and upload them soon. The painting is not varnished (in order to maintain that texture detail) so it will need to hung in a clean space, away from inquisitive fingers that might mark it.

The lower shadow extends slightly over the edge of the painting.

Signed and dated, and professionally framed in Tasmanian Oak, with a rear dust jacket. The painting itself is protected by an isolation coat and satin varnish.