Demonstration at the Isle of Ely Art Society, October 2024

In October 2024 I gave a presentation and live painting demonstration to the Isle of Ely Art Society. The event was held at the Methodist Church, Chapel Street, Ely, and focused on my working process with oil and cold wax medium.

'The First Temple' 130 x 100 x 4 cm on canvas

The Demonstration

The session centred on the layered approach that characterises my practice — the use of brayers, palette knives, and unconventional tools to build up and rework the painted surface. Cold wax medium was central to the demonstration: its capacity to accelerate drying, hold texture, and respond to scraping and scoring makes it a particularly expressive material for working in front of an audience, where the process of decision-making can be made visible in real time.

'Between Worlds' 120 x 100 x 4 cm on canvas

Cold Wax and Oil — Process and Material

The demonstration drew on the same principles that inform my studio practice: beginning with broad, gestural layers and progressively refining the surface through a combination of addition and removal. The interplay between control and chance — between intention and the behaviour of the materials — is something I find productive to discuss as well as to demonstrate, and the format of an art society evening allows for that kind of exchange.

'Natural Theatre' 130 x 100 x 4 cm on canvas