Since graduating in design at Napier University in Edinburgh, i have continued my love of drawing and painting over the past 35 years. Most of all I treasure life drawing more than other any other art form. Life drawing is the basic foundation of art; everything stems from the understanding and depiction of the human form. From the early cave paintings, through the Italian renaissance, from the Impressionists to David Hockney, life drawing and painting has always played an integral part.
I still marvel at how a simple pencil or charcoal line can convey the beauty and elegance of the human figure because no two people are the same; the challenges are varied and endless.
Mainly I work in graphite and charcoal but when the longer model poses allow will also work in oil and pastel. The artists that inspire me the most are Edgar Degas for his draughtsmanship and Egon Schiele for his quality of line and use of colour. I despair at the apparent decreasing importance placed upon drawing in art education today and believes this is one of the reasons that there has been an upsurge in life drawing classes. Recently I've been concentrating on recording the Fife Coast through my art where the light provides unrivalled drama and clarity.