dinglegallery

I’ve been drawing and painting since childhood, starting with crayons, pencils and pens and later in life using pastels, charcoal and oil. I started painting with watercolours in 1993 and developed a real passion for it because its character allows for an exciting mix of spontaneity and control. I create portraits and landscapes and occassional florals and still lifes using the most unpredictable, unstable, and unforgiving medium there is. Most of my projects begin with pre-liminary pencil sketches to determine composition, shapes and shadows. After that, I follow where the watercolour leads me. My primary focus is always on the light and its ability to turn the ordinary into the captivating. Lately I’ve painted more portraits than landscapes. It’s fascinating: As I start with my subject’s face, building it glaze by glaze, they seem to emerge from the white paper as though they come to life. You might notice that their eyes rarely address the viewer – that’s because I prefer to show them absorbed in their own worlds…. and the contents of their minds. If possible I start and finish a painting on the same day, taking between 2-4 hours per piece. The three colours I currently use the most are indigo blue, yellow ochre and dark red. I enjoy challenging myself with a new subject or painting technique.