Painting the feeling of a place

I am a contemporary landscape painter based in Harpenden, Hertfordshire.

I paint because I want to capture what it feels like to be somewhere, not simply how it looks.

I’ve lived in England, Hong Kong and Singapore, and each place has shaped the way I see the landscape. The coast and countryside of Britain sit alongside memories of tropical vegetation, rainforest and colourful architecture in Singapore.

Since returning to England, the landscape around Hertfordshire has become an important part of my work. I’m drawn to ordinary places at particular moments: sunlight breaking through trees, a path through woodland, winter frost, changing skies or the intense colour of autumn.

From outdoors to the studio

Many of my paintings begin outside, working directly from the landscape. Painting outdoors means responding quickly to changing light and weather. A scene can alter dramatically in the space of an hour, and that sense of urgency becomes part of the painting.

Back in the studio, I take a slower approach. Outdoor studies, photographs, memory and experience become starting points for larger paintings. I can experiment more freely with colour, composition, brushwork and different ways of applying paint.

Places and Memories

In Britain, I’m particularly interested in woodland, open countryside, mountains, coast and the changing seasons.

Singapore continues to influence my work through its tropical vegetation, shophouses and dense urban landscapes. Years spent there changed my sense of colour and gave me a fascination with the contrast between architecture and nature.

Ultimately, the subject is always the place itself: its atmosphere, character and the feeling of being there.