About

Bio

Born in England, my career was predominantly working in the medical field. Married with two sons, I eventually left academia trading the hustle and bustle of urban life for the tranquillity of rural France. There, I found solace and fulfilment in a life of self-sufficiency on a smallholding.

Intrigued by the allure of the Far East, I relocated to Vietnam and while painting has always been a passion, my early works were primarily still life and landscape paintings, utilising watercolours. However, a desire to break free from the constraints of uncompromising realism led me to experiment with palette knives, oils and acrylics. This artistic evolution ignited a newfound passion and provided a creative outlet that has become an invaluable source of joy and personal expression. 

Curiously, Suki, inspired by my nickname, signifies ‘a liking for the arts’ in the Chinese language. Trees have a vital role in our ecosystem – providing oxygen, sustenance, and shelter – their ecological significance and aesthetic beauty resonates deeply with me. Used symbolically to represent life, their longevity, resilience and underground mycorrhizal network reflect a remarkable ability to thrive in challenging conditions. Like a tree, we too must weather life’s storms. Our roots, our beliefs, keep us grounded, while our branches, our hopes, reach towards the sky.

Painting Techniques

Although I have not set aside my paint brushes entirely, I’m drawn to the expressive power of the palette knife, which allows me to create dynamic textures, vibrant colours, incurring a sense of immediacy. My paintings often explore themes of nature, emotions, and urban landscapes. I aim to evoke a strong emotional response in viewers through my use of colour, form, and composition and occasionally vary my style by using different techniques such as impasto to create thick, textured layers of paint

My work is inspired by the abstract expressionist movement and the natural world. I relate to artists like Lee Kresnar who is not stifled by one style of art, as she quotes ‘we evolve all the time, learning and creating new ideas’. I strive to push the boundaries of abstract painting and create visually striking works that resonate with audiences. My works mostly entail figurative and conceptual abstract, in addition to lyrical and biomorphic abstraction, although I continue to find pleasure experimenting with new ideas and techniques.