Processes

Italian Gesso

Traditional Italian gesso provides a beautifully smooth, absorbent surface for painting. Rather than using the customary white gesso, my process incorporates finely ground coloured pigments to create vibrant, luminous grounds. These coloured foundations become an integral part of the work, subtly influencing the depth, light, and atmosphere of the layers applied above.

The coloured gesso is used in two distinct ways. In some paintings, simple geometric forms, such as circles, are built directly into the foundation by applying successive layers of differently coloured gesso, allowing the image to emerge from within the surface itself. In others, the coloured ground remains exposed beneath a series of restrained, abstract brushstrokes painted in egg tempera, creating a quiet dialogue between the luminous foundation and the delicate painted marks above.

Egg Tempera

Egg tempera is one of the oldest painting techniques, made by mixing pure pigments with fresh egg yolk as a natural binder. Celebrated for its luminous colour, fine detail, and exceptional permanence, it was the principal medium of European panel painting for centuries before the widespread adoption of oil paint.

While traditionally associated with highly detailed religious icons and Renaissance masterpieces, here egg tempera is used in a contemporary abstract context. Thin, translucent layers and restrained brushstrokes allow the colour and light of the underlying gesso to remain visible, creating paintings that honour the discipline and craftsmanship of this historic medium while exploring a distinctly modern visual language.

Monoprints

These abstract monoprints are created on delicate Japanese rice paper using a process that embraces both precision and chance. Rather than displaying the printed surface, the works are presented from the reverse, revealing the subtle way in which the ink has permeated and bled through the fibres of the paper. This creates soft, atmospheric forms with a quiet luminosity, where the character of the paper becomes as important as the printed image itself.

Framing

Each painting is presented in a hand-crafted frame made from solid oak or ash. Rather than serving as a separate finishing element, the frame is conceived as an integral part of the work, carefully proportioned to complement the painting’s scale, colour, and surface. The natural character of the timber provides a quiet counterpoint to the luminous gesso and egg tempera, or subtle monochromatic monoprint, extending the craftsmanship of the work beyond its edges and creating a unified object in which painting and/or print and frame are inseparable.