PF: How important is the viewer’s interpretation versus your intention?
Whilst I would love for people to understand where my paintings come from, I know that that will not always be the case. So whilst it’s important, it is not essential, especially if they can get satisfaction from the paintings in another form such as joy.
PF: Have you ever felt pressure to create work that "sells" rather than what speaks to you?
Yes, but I have tried to stay true to myself and believing in what I am producing is worth more to me than selling out. I’ll caveat that with the fact that bills also have to be paid so I know it’s not always as simple as that! I think if you believe in something, there will be other people that “get” it; it’s just a case of finding those people.
PF: If you could have dinner with any artist, living or dead, who would it be?
JMW Turner - since researching him at school I have been fascinated by how ahead of his time his work was and the striking relation to 20th c. Abstract Expressionism. It would be fascinating to hear what he was thinking!