The transformative power of oil & Cold Wax medium

Gold enamel and cold wax medium

The question of detail in painting is not technical — it is philosophical. This post reflects on how I approach the relationship between precision and openness in my work, using a painting of Eaves Wood in Lancashire as a starting point for thinking about what detail is actually for.

Using cold wax medium with oil paint to create a forest

The question I am asked most often is how oil paint and cold wax work together. This post draws on my current studio practice to describe the relationship between the two materials — how they interact, how I mix and apply them, and what the medium makes possible that oil alone does not.

This is the work currently in the studio. I have decided to produce a series of paintings based on the VolksPark in Berlin

I returned to the Edinburgh Art Fair in November 2023, showing a selection of forest paintings with Linton 59. Edinburgh is always a serious context for contemporary work — the audience is engaged and the standard of exhibiting galleries is high.

In June and July 2023 I held a solo exhibition of paintings in Linton, Cambridgeshire. The show brought together a selection of recent work in oil and cold wax, spanning a range of scales and exploring the recurring themes of my practice: the forest, the fenland, the quality of northern light, and the tension between representation and abstraction. The Work The paintings in this exhibition were developed through the layered process that characterises my approach to oil and co

How to be creative with oil paint and cold wax. Using Jeff Becks guitar playing for inspiration

Cold wax landscape painting techniques

The surface of a cold wax painting is never passive. This post explores how I approach the building and reworking of a painted surface — the layering, the scraping back, the moments of decision — and what it means for a painting to feel alive rather than resolved.

Cold wax is not simply a material — it is a way of working. This post describes what cold wax medium is, how it behaves in combination with oil paint, and why its particular qualities — resistance, translucency, the way it holds a mark — have made it central to my practice over many years.

After several years of working with oil and cold wax, I have come to understand the medium less as a set of techniques and more as a set of conditions. This post reflects on what those conditions are, and how they have shaped the way I think about painting.

Creating art is a fundamental part of my identity and a way for me to express my emotions and thoughts. When I make images, I feel like I’m connecting with something deeper. This process feels like a journey, where each brushstroke or pencil mark leads to new insights and understandings. Art helps me capture the complexities of life—its beauty, chaos, and mysteries. Each piece I create represents a specific moment, emotion, or idea that interests me. Making art isn't just abo

'One Hundred Years of Solitude' 150 x 100 cm Oil on Canvas

' The Archaeology of Thought' Oil and cold wax 60 x 60 cm

A Minimalist abstract painting based on water and clouds

Red embodies an emotional power like no other colour and the associations for each individual are almost limitless. The materials used in th

This multi-layered mixed media oil painting represents a development of my New Forest series and continues my engagement with nature and land. The surface consists of multiple layers of oil and cold wax, with a marked impasto and strong textural qualities. The gold enamel has a soft patina and mirrors elements of the colour and tone of the immediate environment. Gold has been applied selectively to some of the vertical forms, providing intense points of reflective light again

I have arrived at an interpretation of the Fenlands through working with materials and actually living here and experiencing the...