Work With Me

I’ve worked with oils for over twenty years, and for the past seven, I’ve been teaching artists how to incorporate cold wax into their practice.

Over time, my own work has evolved from large-scale, representational landscapes defined by thick impasto, to a more experimental and abstract approach using delicate layers of transparent and opaque paint. While my style has changed, some constants remain: I continue to be inspired by the weather, the environment, and the shifting qualities of light across the landscape.

My introduction to cold wax came during a formative residency in Ireland with American abstract artist Rebecca Crowell. This medium—entirely new to me at the time—invited a more instinctive, exploratory way of working. It gave body to my paint while also allowing for a richer, more expressive use of colour and texture. This shift led me away from using sketches and photographs as references, and towards painting from memory, emotion, and a deeper sense of place.

Cold wax is an incredibly versatile medium, offering artists unique ways to explore surface, layering, and mark-making that differ from traditional oil techniques. For me, it’s been a revelation—opening up possibilities such as embedding materials like marble dust and gold leaf, using solvent to dissolve paint, and embracing bold shifts in colour and tone. As a result, the boundaries in my work between abstraction and representation have become increasingly fluid.

One of the most exciting aspects of cold wax is how accessible it makes oil painting. It frees artists from some of the more rigid conventions of the medium, encouraging spontaneous methods that invite innovation and discovery.

Whether you're just beginning or are an experienced painter — whether your work is rooted in landscape or abstraction — I offer a range of face-to-face workshops and online courses designed to support and inspire artists at every stage of their journey.