Artist’s Manifesto.

The stark black and white images of scraper board illustration fascinated me as a child. The technique, where a thin layer of glazed black clay is scraped away with a sharp tool to reveal the white card background afforded me with a new method of interpreting the various series of my work. It is perfect for depicting the serene stillness and beauty of nature and the English countryside. I began experimenting with scraper boards in the late 1990's during trips to the woodlands of Kent. Scraper board is an excellent medium for capturing the spirit of a scene, whether it is an ancient oak, a kestrel on a fence post or a carpet of bluebells, it is incredible what can be achieved in simple black and white. The trick is, to make the absence of colour an asset, to instil the sense of antiquity and tradition associated with the scraper board method into each illustration, creating an eerie sense of place and reverence of nature. I have used the medium of scraper boards in other series such as religion, sailors and the Krays, albeit in a loser, rougher style appropriate for material drawn from my earlier life and experiences. Scraper boards of religion and the saints were influenced by illustrations from illuminated manuscripts.