Sketching is fundamental to my painting process (and also for that matter, architecture). It serves as a preparatory method of exploration, a safe and quick place to test ideas, colours, composition and the interplay of light and shadow. It is thinking made tangible on paper and can capture nuance that photography alone cannot translate. 

Just as importantly sketching has trained my eye to notice detail, building a library of memories and feelings which help to contribute to the richness of each painting.

My method is simple. Visit and observe, sketch in-situ, take photos for reference – and then return to the studio to stitch them all together. No painting is ever a direct copy of the sketch, but a sketch will provide the foundation and a confidence from which multi-layered work emerges.