I often refer to my abstract paintings as ‘backgrounds’ because they are inspired by what I walk and swim past every day. I see the world as a living gallery. Walking with me requires a little patience sometimes; I’m constantly stopping to take photos or slow-motion videos of things that catch my eye.
Whether I’m walking or swimming in the ocean, I’m delighted by the random effects of light, colour, texture and pattern in seemingly insignificant things — seaweed, bark, leaves scattered across footpaths, or rusty corrugated iron.
My paintings never literally look like the places I’ve been. Instead, I use my photos as references, mixing colours that clash, complement or unexpectedly sit alongside each other on the canvas, until I feel I’ve captured ‘the vibe of the thing’.