Painting began as a hobby — and then completely took over.
 

I’m largely self-taught, though I did study art at school and earned an A for matric. For over 20 years, I’ve kept a small sketchbook that travels everywhere with me. No excuses — you have to keep drawing. A turning point came when my wife gifted me a two-week painting course in Florence. It transformed my approach to portraiture, teaching me the power of restraint — using less colour, not more.
 

I’ve been influenced by artists such as John Singer Sargent, Edward Hopper, and Lucian Freud, particularly in my pursuit of accuracy and honesty in painting.
 

In 2015, I won the Sanlam Portrait Award for a painting of my son Jack, After the Match. That led to my first solo exhibition, featuring twelve portraits.
 

I love commissioned work — especially the moment of handing a finished painting to its owner. I’ve painted landscapes and seascapes too, but portraiture remains my true home. More recently, I’ve been exploring a new body of work inspired by the Dalebrook tidal pool, using swimmers as reference. Through overlapping line and colour, I invite the viewer to spend time with the painting and discover more beneath the surface.
 

I’ll be painting for as long as I can hold a brush.