My painting Style
I like to use Chinese landscape compositions with transparent washes over ink brush drawings. The subject dictates the medeum used : sometimes a watercolour painting on watercolour paper in a more western style,other times Chinese brushwork on mulbery or Korean linen papers with watercolour washes.I try to achieve a fusion of East meeting West in my paintings. I bring elements of Chinese composition and calligraphic drawing into my watercolour paintings. My Chinese style paintings probably have elements of western compositions . Having studied intensively all the classical brush work and ink techniques I now find my own way of interpreting the subject I\'m painting.
I've recently started to make pen and ink sketches, pen and wash paintings as well as Chinese sketches.
I regularly go out sketching in the Derbyshire peak district, but also go on sketching trips to Norfolk, Devon, Cornwall and the Lake distict of Cumberland.
I love Sketching and photography, both are a rich resource for my paintings.
My Xieyi free brush flower paintings evolve after many composition sketches and detaied drawings of the flower i'm trying to portray.
I experiment with watercolour washes using wWndsor and Newton paints, paper crinkling, Chinese ink breaking ,some Chinese Opaque mineral colours if needed.
I have read much about the History of Chinese painting and am very interested in the atmospheric effects created in Sung Dynasty paintings. I spent a year copying most of a scroll by Ching dynasty artist Wang Hui Shigu to practice many landscape painting techniques.
I\'ve studied in depth the paintings of Shih T\'ao . I like his free brushwork and pale washes.