A limited palette can be a useful way to strip away unnecessary distractions When I started to paint without a reference point, I realise how difficult abstraction could be. A common misconception about abstract painting is that it’s easy to make and that it lacks any real skill. Whilst it’s true that creating realistic, figurative paintings requires a high level of understanding and technical ability to achieve quality results, there is always a point of reference to guide the work. With...

'Cotswold Rhythm No.3' textural detail If we can't identify why we are doing something, it's a sign we should take time to pause and reflect. There's always a reason, even if it becomes obscured or taken for granted. Why are you doing this? At first, this might seem like an easy question to answer. But once you dig beneath the surface, it becomes harder to pin down. Often we either take the “why?” for granted or avoid it entirely—moving through routines without pausing to examine what’s...

Steve drawing on the lower slopes of Cleeve Hill in Gloucestershire, a short walk from his studio I am interested in how the landscape influences us and seeps into other areas of our lives. How the memory of place and indeed the distortion of memory coupled with our own personal biases might shape our relationship with the environments we find ourselves in. Landscape is not only “the countryside”. It includes the spaces we live in, travel through and return to—rural, urban and everything in...