In the Studio

I work in a retro, purpose-built studio with a 32ft by 16ft north facing glass wall, teetering on the edge of the Brede Valley that separates Kent from East Sussex. Every day, the view refreshes and reinvents itself. Inside, the walls are draped in 'primary state' canvasses. These are the basic ideas for paintings translated into broad swathes of colour and rust red skies.

As I work on the canvas on the easel I am considering these incomplete canvases, so that as I finish one painting (an intuitive mystery in itself) I already know the next painting to be worked on. Sometimes these primary paintings will hang for a few weeks, while others can be waiting for several years.

Equipment

I paint with oils, which are usually Winsor & Newton. I buy 12 oz Cotton Duck canvas by the roll and apply an acrylic gesso. I used to work on rabbit skin size, melted in a bain-marie, but I like the way acrylic gesso takes the area of colour I apply as under-painting. The redundant windows from my house make fine palettes, and they are easily cleaned with a palette knife.

I have four easels. The prettiest and my favourite is a dark-wood Victorian studio easel with winding handle, which is now covered I a rich patina of paint. The most practical is a grand American version of the same, plus a further two tripod easels, as featured in art schools throughout the land.

Signwriter's brushes preferred

I discovered handmade signwriters brushes in the 70's - good signwriter sable will give a line of paint across vast acres of canvas. These were layered sable hair bound into the quill of a wing feather of different sized birds, with the brush size defined by the bird: lark the finest, to fat old duck quill brushes. The guy making these finally retired aged 80 and the replacement modern equivalents is no match. I now use factory made brushes: sable, mink and hog for different applications, but the quality is still good.

Portraits

I have always been interested in the figure, and my early work was dominated by figures in interiors. I have also always painted portraits to commission, but my approach is to make the sitter part of my painting. I look for body language, character interaction and relationships to define the sitters in an environment that has some significance. My portraits have been shown in the National Portrait Gallery and I have exhibited regularly in the Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual Summer Show.