The narrative/impetus for this series of works is deeply personal. Broadly, it is about a cycle of profound hurt to intense release.

Opening: to force an opening (to breach) through to Opening: to release and truly open up.

The process is integral and is one of concentrated, open-minded patience, requiring me to stay alert to paint (viscosity, brush loading, etc) and compositional characteristics in much the same way as fully abstract works demand. These cannot be rushed, nor the movements/marks allowed to become repetitively mechanical. To do so would be to undermine the intention of the work.

The works initially appear highly decorative and orderly – feathers mean birds. But on closer inspection, these are not any birds you’d recognise. Their physiology is different (wrong? altered?). The colours and intensity are emotive, the mark-making intense. These irregularities draw you in, encourage observation and contemplation. But ultimately you are released to once again to simply enjoy the decorative qualities of these jewels.

That they are designed to be hung at any angle, allows the image to be changed/refreshed at will. This allows the viewer input into the relationship each work has with its surroundings. The round paintings are very effective in groupings, allowing differences between the works to intensify each other.