To this end I seldom begin with any set idea of how a painting should look. My starting point is usually the paint itself, then through the process of painting, the marks I've made and the colours and forms I've created begin to suggest the idea of a place, or of a season or weather, or of a feeling, which in turn suggests the direction the painting may take. In allowing myself to be open to this kind of free association, working backwards like this allows me to constantly surprise myself and to incorporate new ideas into my visual vocabulary. It is also one of the reasons why an exhibition of my work will include a variety of images ranging from quite realistic to relatively abstract. I have no agenda other than to paint what I can, when I can.
Painting is hard enough as it is without having to work within any strict boundaries.
The only important thing is to keep painting, to keep changing, to keep renewing. Time is also an important part of this process. Although there are always exceptions, the majority of the work I do is the result of a build up of layers. Canvasses are prepared, then painted and left to dry. They are then picked up again, reworked, scraped, scratched, sanded or wiped, and more paint added.