ARTIST\'S STATEMENT Living surrounded by the dramatic coastal and mountain areas of West Wales has had a profound influence on me. In my colourful expressionistic paintings and drawings of land, sea and sky I am continually seeking to express my emotional response to the power and spirit of nature. Exploring the rhythmical processes and cycles of nature, its need for balance, and how to listen to its spirit and feel its energy, are also areas explored in my current work, and have direct reference to my long term study and practice of Tai Chi. I explore my chosen subject through making drawings on location initially, striving to capture the essence of my subject, then back in my studio I develop and distil my ideas into finished pieces, often working in series. Favoured methods use acrylic, pastel, ink, graphite and mixed media. The expressive use of colour and energetic mark making are vitally important to me, as is my continued practice of drawing which for me I liken to the necessity of playing scales for a concert pianist.