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Much of my work springs from illuminated manuscripts: decorated, hand-written texts that pre-date the printing press. I love miniature medieval illustrations with their quirky, often bizarre imagery that ranges from holy inspiration to bawdy violence.
My explorations into ancient materials such as egg tempera, vellum (animal skin parchment) and papyrus has heightened my interest in the peculiarities of paint, and I often mix media, including acrylic, oil, sand and collage. I am a calligrapher, and creating letterforms rhythmically with pen and brush as well as work in sumi-e (Japanese brush-painting) informs the gestural brush mark in my painting.
My love of letters extends beyond their forms to literary inspiration and narrative content. Sometimes I think my paintings are children’s book illustrations that have wandered into a grown-up place. Of course, the notion of the separation between adult and children’s sensibilities is a recent one: before the 19th century children were viewed as miniature adults, and treated accordingly. But, that’s another story. |
