My recent paintings have been focused mainly on familiar places; the south of France, Sicily and closer to home in London, especially the area around the Thames. I've been adopting a slightly more abstract approach, however, and been trying to develop new ways of using the paint. Whilst the work is firmly rooted in quite detailed drawings I've tried to let the paint do its own thing by mixing traditional oil paint with paint more often used in the house. It's fascinating to see how the two different mediums interact.