Oil on canvas 135x125cm
At school I was interested primarily in Biology and Art. Biology was filled with microscopic forms that often seemed more compelling than the chairs and corkscrews I was drawing in Art. I would spend hours drawing these forms in great detail. (I still refer to these drawings for source material). So this painting stems partly from those amoebic drawings of nearly 40 years ago, as well as larger animal forms, and an admiration of woven textile surfaces. 
‘Animal’ is a richly coloured and textured image. Painted in thick impasto oil paint, the background resonates and shimmers in turquoise and red. The surface pattern suggests a rough and robust weave of rhythms and textures. A single large and subdivided form dominates this painting. It can be read as a simplified dog or cat-like form, or as a microscopic cellular form. I like to build in this kind of ambiguity in my paintings, as it invites the viewer to allow their own readings to come into play. This is an important characteristic of my approach to painting. 
Painted with artist quality oil paints, the painting is supported on a heavy duty warp-free stretcher.