Midlands

It would be a lie to pretend I know why I have painted certain paintings. The truth is, I only understand the personal significance much later on. However, its true to say that without that deeper significance most works would never have survived the energy it takes to bring them into reality. To say something has been a conscious choice tends to dismiss the power of the subconscious. In these works which I call ‘extractions’ rather than allowing the landscape to directly dictate the subject of my work, I begin from instinct until a form appears that my conscious mind can grasp and then develop. The first part is almost mindless, the second part about control. Extractions leave room for the viewer to find their own focal point both literally and metaphorically, ideally allowing them to project their own internal landscapes onto the work. Like a memory the image is hazy and the distances distorted. I know what I see in the midlands, but what do you see?