I believe strongly in the value and importance of populist art within culture, work that can be accessed by anyone with eyes to see. If the reaction to work is 'That's weird" or 'those insect-like textures disturb me!' then I find this preferable to the pretence that a work/artist has elicited an emotional response due to its officially sanctioned 'worthy' status.
Joseph Campbell's term 'Aesthetic arrest,' broadly covers my aim, an avoidance at trying to persuade the viewer of anything, a 'raised above desire and loathing' state where simply the act of looking is a rewarding experience.
It was the act of looking closely at nature that inspired my imagination as a child and continues to do so. The hidden worlds of anatomy and nature, often at a macro level, have always called to me as fertile landscapes of discovery. New colour combinations, textures and forms, alien yet completely natural macro terrain.
Creatively I have always found the natural world my biggest inspiration; most of my artistic learning has come directly from the close observation and study of organic material. I also am fascinated by the inner world of imagination and my work is partly an attempt to bridge the gap between the real and the imaginary.
Whether in the classroom, one to one tutoring or creating Youtube tutorials, teaching will additionally always be an important part of my vision. I aim to inspire other aspiring artists, wherever they are on their own artistic journey, by example, as well as helping them build their technical vocabulary in order to express their own visions.
From a young age I have loved the drawing process and this usually where I start when creating 2D work. Even my digital painting usually starts with a sketch. I find the limitless potential of an initial line or mark to evolve into an as yet undiscovered world, endlessly fascinating.