Background
I was born and brought up in County Derry, N. Ireland, but have had Icelandic citizenship since 1975 and have lived in Iceland since 1972 with my Icelandic wife and family. I am educated as a geologist (PhD) and taught for 35 years until recent retirement and now devote most of my time to painting. My scientific background has strongly influenced my painting.
Artist statement
I like my paintings to be strong, whether from colour, form or something else. I want them to invoke an immediate reaction, either confronting the viewers or drawing them in to the work. They do not require much analysis or philosophical consideration, but rather appeal to the emotions and create an atmosphere. The world of flowers and Irish dance have been my inspiration for some time.
My flower inspired paintings use strong colours and form and I also extend the field of view by incorporating microscopic and molecular elements. I like to obfuscate by ignoring scale and jumbling elements which I feel comes closer to nature itself than realistic painting.
In my dance inspired paintings I want the viewers to experience the flashes of light on the moving dancers and their bright costumes and in their mind to hear the thundering Irish music.
For an example of my most recent work, have a look at this very large (4.5 X 4.0 m) painting which I recently exhibited:
Everything I saw (The making of a dandelion)
(last ammended November 2024)