Painting on Metal
“The reason that I paint onto metal is that it creates another dimension. If I’m painting a New York or London scene and there are lots of buildings, I use the metal to create depth in the windows, doorways and reflections. It just adds another interesting feature and mood to a painting."
“I’ve also found that when it’s hanging in people’s houses, the light changes throughout the day as the sun rises and comes down, which actually changes the way the painting looks.
“You can treat brass and copper in different ways to get a really cool patina. So I’ve treated the sky in a special formula, which allows me to create these amazing cloudy skies. Where the surface has reacted, it creates interesting effects and different colours. When they’re up on the walls, they just look insane. It’s amazing.”
“Aluminium is a great surface to paint onto: it adds another feature and allows me to go beyond just the medium that I’m painting with.”
“Resin is another dimension: if I’m painting with resin on top of brass, copper or aluminium, it just enhances what is already there. I balance the layers of resin and ink against the metal, letting the lustre and pearlescence shine through.”
In the Studio
“I try to capture atmosphere through medium-to-large brushstrokes. Because of the size of the brush marks and my use of scrapers, it has a natural Impressionistic feel. I don’t try to fit into any genres – it’s pure instinct and many years of painting."
“Obviously the size looks impressive, but it also allows me to do large brushstrokes. When you’re painting tiny pieces, it’s easier to use smaller brushes so you don’t leave big brush marks. This scale allows me to paint very freely, and by applying the paint fast, it will drip onto other sections of the painting.
“I actually use this as a part of the painting because it creates an Impressionistic feel. You will see those marks – I call them happy accidents – but they are part of the artwork. There is never a mistake within a piece, because it’s all meant to be there for a reason.”
