MURALS
"an old but not forgotten love..."
Looking at my work today, it’s obvious that I haven’t gone through the traditional institutions to become an artist. So no-one would really believe, and very few people would know, that a large part of my early career was spent painting Trompe L’oeil Murals. It seems a long way away from the direction culturally my work has taken me.
Antenna Salon, Kensington
I spent a good few years in an environment that nourished me artistically and intellectually, particularly coming from a West Indian background that has no cultural connect to this visual language and area of society in which trompe l’oeil work is naturally found. Nevertheless, I was able to indulge in learning the disciplines associated with this medium and painting practice.
Venice Mural for Roy Alderson's entrance hall
Under the tutelage of a well-known British muralist, Roy Alderson, I found it unfamiliar, of course, and uncomfortable at times. But I enjoyed every minute of my exposure to the places that showered me creatively and the people who would eventually give me my own mural commissions.
Restoration of trompe l'oeil mural in Roy Alderson's garden
I migrated more and more into the mainstream with the skills and confidence that open up opportunities to a diversity of projects in the commercial world of the creative industries. I was set for a new chapter in my career where I stayed for some time working with fashion, hair and interior design companies.
Now it seems - with the recent commissions I've received - that I am returning to an old but not forgotten love that will serve me in the contemporary world of the arts.
