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This body of work evolved from a series of process-driven sketches on paper using a limited colour palette, creating a visual dialogue between positive and negative space within each piece. This series was intended as a brief exploratory journey, away from working on large canvas panels and on a more intimate scale through which I could move quickly capturing many ideas and compositional designs in a relatively short space of time.

In developing compositions for my ‘Departure Series’, a sense of gravity and solidity began to emerge, which prompted me to reflect on how historic exposure to British Brutalist architecture in the early 90’s has resurfaced to recently infuse this body of work. Brutalism emerged as an architectural movement in the 1950’s post war era, which was instantly recognisable for its solid concrete buildings with bold and unflinching facades, hulking forms and simple graphic lines

Looking back at a finished piece, I often peer at marks and overlays of colour and think, 'How did I do that?' or 'Why did I do that?.' A feeling of dissociation comes over me as I realise I don't remember making those marks or adding that glaze, or the sequence of actions that created that result. Where was my brain when I was doing all of that?

The exhibition is the coming together of artists wanting to explore their connection with colour and how they use it to respond to the world, express emotion and cultural identity and will include prints, photographs, sculpture, jewellery and woodwork and is a celebration of some of our region’s most talented emerging and established artists.

If you're a creative you'll be familiar with the fear and excitement of staring at a blank canvas. The possibilities seem endless, but where do you start? I have no plan when I start a new work, I just know that the need to create is strong and urgent. I begin a piece with what looks like incoherent mark making, to energise the canvas and begin a dialogue with the surface. This immediately creates the opportunity to start to making decisions and consider preferences.

This piece was a challenge as I wanted to explore working on a smaller scale. My usual preference for canvas size is twice the size of this piece. I find larger work more engaging physically which creates a momentum and energy of its own. 'Inhabit' has a stillness about it which I think was dictated by the need to remain physically still in order to focus and apply paint in a controlled way.