The landscape of the Yorkshire Wolds and Coast is often the starting point for much of my work. A horizontal composition can immediately suggest a landscape or perhaps the memory of being immersed in the outdoors. I use this generic format to support my ideas, many of which are based on my time spent drawing in real places. Conversely, the creation (in the studio) of a remembered place can evoke characteristics and features of a specific place that is familiar to me.

Additionally, I use vertical motifs to punctuate the horizontal lines of the sea, the land and the skyline to add interest and depth. Thus, trees, hedges, fence posts and sea defences can act as clues and full stops, suggesting meaning and hints of real places without necessarily referring to them directly.

There is a timelessness and relative permanence to landscape; though field patterns and land use may change, structurally the land remains the same. Likewise, whilst the sea changes constantly, the inevitability and predictability of the tides ensure we know what to expect and when. These natural constants only emphasise the fragility of human intervention. The hills and dry valleys of the Wolds and the sea’s horizon remain when the fences, copses and sea defences have eroded away or have been cut down. Through my work I hope to capture the character of the Yorkshire landscape, both natural and manmade.