Watercolour and oil onto handmade clay birch panel. Inspired by the rolling hill lines of South Wales and from sketchbook notes from many hours spent roaming through the landscape. Through the Echoes is inspired by soaring hill lines and places never reached

The process:

Each birch panel is covered with a specially formulated clay ground (this is an artistic term for a layer used to prepare a surface for painting). This is a wholly unique process, one that I’ve developed the recipe and application of over a number of years. This was born of a desire to marry two opposing elements; oil and watercolour.

My practice as an artist has centred around these two very distinct media - not traditionally used together in painting. I love watercolour for the soft, subtle bleeds that echo light transitions and more. It’s delicate and light, subtle and surprising. Oil paint on the other hand, has a depth and richness, its pigmentation mirrors nature's own. I wanted to marry these two qualities, the softness of watercolour and in particular the way that paper allows for those lovely bleeds, but find something that could withstand an oil paint (paper would degrade from the linseed oil in an oil paint if applied directly to it).

The clay ground was inspired by ancient frescos where egg tempura would be painted onto clay and lime walls. My paintings then become like modern frescos, learning and building upon ancient art forms to create a unique surface that behaves like a watercolour paper, allowing for gentle bleeds of colour but has the stability to support an oil paint. This results in works that are rich and atmospheric; elements that perfectly convey the Welsh landscape and ever-shifting weather patterns.