Tell us about your background.
I studied graphic design back in the UK a long time ago. I couldn’t imagine making a living in the art world at the time, but I wanted a career in creativity, which took me into advertising. Then my wife and I moved to Australia and over the last 15 or so years, painting has become my primary focus.

Why birds?
I’ve been painting and drawing wildlife since I was a child, I’ve always painted and drawn people too, but birds are definitely the main part of this exhibition. I’m fascinated by the almost infinite variety of colours shapes and sizes, not to mention characters. From a purely aesthetic point of view, they make for so many great compositions. And all that’s before we even get into character, trying to capture that always fascinates me. There’s also their association with freedom – so that must be in my head too.

What keeps you motivated?
When you’ve completed a painting, study or whatever, at the end of the day something exists that didn’t exist previously. That’s always rewarding. Also, there’s that little thought, “Maybe this will turn out to be the best thing I’ve ever done”. It almost certainly doesn’t turn out that way but who wouldn’t want to pursue the possibility? The other motivation is pretty simple and I think is common to all creative people; you just feel bad if you don’t do it.

You’ve worked in commercial creativity and in the fine art world, what would you say are the differences?
Fewer meetings for starters! In the world of commercial creativity, be that advertising, graphic design or whatever, the creative is only one cog in the machine. An important cog for sure but people outside of that world often overestimate their control over the process. Whereas artists do have control over what they do. I love that when I’m painting, I only answer to myself so I can be as intuitive as I like and follow my instincts. Even when I’m painting a commission there are only two people involved in the process so it’s collaborative and organic. However, one of the good things about having worked in commercial creativity is that I can apply that discipline and rigour to my art, you really learn how to see a project through. That’s a very important discipline.

Your painting has become much darker in the last year or two, what inspired that?
I always felt that painting darker imagery would be a fruitful area to explore, and I’ve always loved chiaroscuro paintings. But I felt I had to learn more and do more before I made that jump. My work was getting darker naturally but one day I decided to push it much further on a small painting and I’m still enjoying it. I love the sense drama and mystery that it gives a subject. Suddenly the familiar feels unfamiliar. There’s something very bold about a very dark painting on a wall.

Click here to view available works from 'Nocturnes' and download the artwork catalogue