An arrangement of still life is for me, a vehicle to explore the language of paint. I choose and arrange my still life very painstakingly. Even if it is just one fish one plate and one table. The allocation of space to object is very important. The canvases I work on are primed at least 5 times, in order to make the surface very smooth. The quality of my paintings are dependent on the very white luminous grounds and a ‘slippery’ surface, so that the paint can glide easily over the canvas.
I do not draw out the composition before I start. The gestures of paint arrive on the canvas where I anticipate them to be, and then get shifted around as the painting develops. As soon as one colour begins to work with its neighbour, I feel as if I am painting.