What Lies At The Heart of All of My Work?

In this mini film I talk about the four key factors that lie at the heart of what I do - energy, movement, freedom, connection.

Over the years I have thought a lot about what the landscape means to me, and why it feels important to try to express this in my work. For me, four key elements seem to lie at the heart of this - these are energy, movement, freedom, connection. In this mini film made in collaboration with Esther Evans I talk about what each of these elements means to me and how it influences my work.

Energy:

When I go out to sketch and be within the landscape I like to stop and to spend time trying to tune in to the wonderful energy that is all around me within the natural world. I try to open myself up to this and to really allow myself to notice and to feel it. The limitless, infinite energy that exists within nature to me is a source of joy, comfort and wonderment.

Movement:

The energy within the landscape is made manifest in the form of movement of the different elements that I can see and feel. I enjoy observing, feeling and immersing myself in this sense of movement, witnessing how alive the landscape is. I love the feeling of the wind blowing on my face, and watching it ripple through the grass and the leaves. Feeling the sun (or the rain, or the hail or the snow); watching the endless variations in the movement of the clouds in the sky; contrasting this with the solidity of the ground beneath me.

Freedom:

The landscape conjures up many emotional responses, but a predominant theme for me is always a feeling of freedom. For me, the landscape represents a place to just be myself, and to be at one with nature. It is a place to tap into the energy of the natural world, and to feel free and alive.

Connection:

When I am within the landscape, I aim to plug myself in to the energy of the natural world. This energy for me connects the different elements of the landscape in a wonderful flow. I believe there is a universal life energy within the natural world that ultimately connects us all. Tapping into that energy provides for me a sense of unity with nature and with all life.