ON THE PERCH | INTERVIEW

I arrive at the studio for around 10am, say hi to the horses on the farm and make a cup of tea. Sometimes Moomin will come along, she’s our house rabbit. I’ll make sure she’s settled and happy then I always write a good old fashioned to do list. I’ll answer any emails, check on web orders and unpack deliveries. I’m always working on multiple pieces at a time, so if the walls are full of paintings, then I’ll keep working their layers.

If I’m starting any new pieces I’ll prep canvas or cut boards to size. I mix a range of colours into pots/on palettes and once the radio is on or a good playlist I focus on getting into a flow state. I’ll paint for around 4 hours then break for some lunch and take a walk around the grounds of the farm to reset and clear my head. I’ll then paint for another 1-2 hours with fresh eyes (sometimes later if I have a deadline) then head home to cook and relax, or if it’s sunny I’ll head to the beach for a quick swim first.

If I’m starting any new pieces I’ll prep canvas or cut boards to size. I mix a range of colours into pots/on palettes and once the radio is on or a good playlist I focus on getting into a flow state. I’ll paint for around 4 hours then break for some lunch and take a walk around the grounds of the farm to reset and clear my head. I’ll then paint for another 1-2 hours with fresh eyes (sometimes later if I have a deadline) then head home to cook and relax, or if it’s sunny I’ll head to the beach for a quick swim first.

I’ve always painted or had my hand in something creative. I started taking my painting practice seriously just before lockdown when I lived in the Chiltern Hills, but moving to St.Ives really became the catalyst for where my work is now. The light and landscape in West Penwith has informed my work endlessly, and everything from my composition, themes, inspiration and colour palette has been completely transformed and informed by my daily life here in Cornwall.

I’ve always painted or had my hand in something creative. I started taking my painting practice seriously just before lockdown when I lived in the Chiltern Hills, but moving to St.Ives really became the catalyst for where my work is now. The light and landscape in West Penwith has informed my work endlessly, and everything from my composition, themes, inspiration and colour palette has been completely transformed and informed by my daily life here in Cornwall.

The studio is nestled in the West Penwith moorland on a farm by Rosewall Hill. It’s surrounded by the ruins of an old mining engine house and has expansive views at the top of the Atlantic Ocean with miles of rugged Cornish countryside and gorse always in bloom! The farm is full of wildlife, birds and horses. I pass a field of llamas on my way down the farm track and always have a curious visit from the farm cats when my studio doors are open.

Layering is key for me. Having a good mix of colour, pattern and texture is the best way I layer and elevate my space. Start with one thing such as a paint colour, a wallpaper or a key piece of art and then start to build up the layers based on that. I pick items made from natural materials such as cotton and linen for soft furnishings, I go for wool or jute when selecting carpets and rugs.

Lighting is incredibly important for me too… I always have lamps never just the big light! I would say not to mix too many different finishes, for example stick to one type of metal for door furniture and one or two wood tones when selecting furniture, mirrors and frames. Also, never underestimate the importance of the finishing touches and details, a stack of books, picture frames, candles, flowers in a vase. The accessories pull everything together and plants bring homes to life!

It’s very hard to choose from so many great pieces… but I would choose Late Afternoon’s Large Apple Green Basket Weave Bowl, Secret Linen Store’s Amber Cora Wide Stripe Tablecloth and Rosie Gore’s Blue Check Twist Vase. I LOVE a check and a stripe and often feature them in my paintings. Often when I’m putting together a still life to paint it will feature a pattern tablecloth, most definitely a vase of bright flowers and usually a bowl of fruit.

I love the depth of the blue and the check design of Rosie’s vase, the Green bowl from Late Afternoon is so bold and beautiful, you can imagine any fruit looking bright and gorgeous sitting in it. I’m dying to mix that colour green for my paintings now! I’m a sucker for a gorgeous detail and the ruffle on the wide strip tablecloth is divine. I’d love any of these pieces to sit alongside my paintings they’re all so beautiful.

I always work with acrylic, my favourites at the moment being System 3 and Golden. I find the ability to easily alter composition and colour quickly allows me to make some bold choices that otherwise would be trickier to conceive quickly with oil, and patience is something I struggle with.

However, I always add a final layer with oil sticks and pastels to add depth and to highlight. My favourites being Sennelier oil pastels and R&F pigment sticks. I have been known to dabble in mixed media grabbing unconventional apparatus such as blue paper towels from the pub toilets, or scrim tape from the local hardware store. I find texture really interesting most of my paintings will have lots of layers of acrylic built up to create very textured surfaces

My biggest inspiration is the Cornish light and subtropical landscape. I’m a colourist through and through, but also as a bit of plant nerd, I find the best place to be inspired is in a blooming subtropical garden or a sunrise or sunset by the water. The light here projects and bounces around, transforming usual colours such as the blue of the ocean, the green of a palm or the yellow of a Craspedia into amplified, hyper versions of themselves. I’ve walked up to plant life here to check if it’s been spray painted before! Seriously! It’s spectacular!

The landscape and plant life has endless shapes and forms you can draw upon for subject and composition. It’s magical. My other huge inspiration is the legacy here in West Penwith, especially that of female painters. I regularly head to the Barbara Hepworth house and gardens, or the Tate St. Ives to see a Wilhelmina Barns-Graham. A painter friend of mine often tells me about her days with Rose Hilton and I’m just a short walk from Talland House where Vanessa Bell would paint during her summers in St. Ives with sister Virgina Wolf. All of these incredible women lived and created here. It’s soul stirring to walk through the same streets and dream similar dreams.