..The subject matter in my paintings, whether still-life motifs, harbour scenes or the human form, is a spring-board for the start of a journey. Each painting has a set of problems to be resolved, not just the formal elements of composition, colour and painting techniques etc. but my own personal response to the painting as it evolves. Because of this I prefer to work in materials such as oils, acrylics and pastels which give me the freedom to change things as I proceed. With a background of fashion design and illustration it's not surprising that artists such as Matisse and Bonnard have been an inspiration and also, living for 18 years in Germany, the German Expressionists. More recently, however, I have been revisiting and learning from the older masters such as Caravaggio, Zurbaran and Goya.