'...lyrical, uplifting, moving...'. Art of England, November 2008

"I cannot imagine my life without music. Of all the arts, music has the most power to move me. While I listen to favourite pieces from early music to the modern masters time and time again, I also love discovering works unknown to me. There are particular performers I admire: the conductors Furtwangler and Barbirolli for example, the cellist Jacqueline Du Pre, the pianists Alfred Brendel and Dinu Lipatti, the singers Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Janet Baker and Andreas Scholl. Above all, the performer who inhabits my soul with the deepest of emotions is Kathleen Ferrier.

When I first became ill, it was her voice, her courage, resilience and great good humour that lent me strength. The pain and anxiety she faced while giving some of the most sublime performances stand as a lasting testament to the potential ability of all humankind to transcend darkness and despair.

I am still discovering the myriad ways that music and painting echo each other. Theme, subject, rhythm, strength, gentleness, colour, dark, light, joy, sadness, all can be discovered in both genres. The translation of my reaction to music into completed paintings has taken a journey of many years with continual experimentation always chasing the chimera of originality. For me, the struggle has been to find that perfect but elusive balance between the two contrasting sides of my nature, my artistic personality, the Dionysius/Apollo contrasts that affect all my work. The one side free, savage, immediate, totally expressive, the other diligent, careful, creating order out of chaos, always straining for beauty and dignity. This struggle, I know, will be part of my life's journey and may never be completely resolved. Just occasionally, a painting gives me some satisfaction, a knowledge of a certain achievement, but that satisfaction is fleeting and tentative. I do know that it is that struggle that makes any achievement possible and worthwhile.

I am only interested in creating beauty. My paintings can be sombre and often sad but I hope never ugly. Others can use political and social themes to inspire their work but my artistic world is more introverted, quiet and reflective."

Selected Exhibitions

2009

• 'Chopin', Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester International Festival, Manchester

2008

• 'Music to the Paintings of Kathleen Ferrier', Blackburn Art Gallery, England
• The Northern Art Show, with Alicia David Contemporary Art, Harrogate, England
• Edinburgh Art Fair, with Alicia David Contemporary Art, Scotland

2007

• 'The Composers', solo exhibition at Sala de Cultura "Sa Nostra", Ciutadella and Mahon, Spain.
  

2005

• 'Recent Works', solo exhibition at Sala de Cultura "Sa Nostra", Ciutadella and Mahon, Spain.

2004

• Finalist in the 14th "Premi Sant Antoni", Spain.
  

2001

• Joint exhibition with Barnaby Edwards at Kingfisher Gallery, Devon, England.

1998

• Contributor to ˜Three West Country Artists', Devon, England.

1995

• First artist to be offered a solo Exhibition at the Sidmouth Arts Festival, Devon, England.

1993

• Solo exhibition at Lannards Gallery, Billingshurst, West Sussex, England.

1986

• Exhibition at The Cavalier Galleries, Stamford, Connecticut, USA.

1983/84

• Exhibition at Sala Vidal, Torremolinos, Spain. 1983 Exhibition at The Horsley Gallery, Surrey, England.

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

• Blackburn Art Gallery

PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

• UK, USA, France, Spain, Canada, Italy