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Growing up on a mining town in a very young British Colony there were no museums, art galleries or even artists to influence my artistic outlook. By the time I left junior school aged 12, I had had some small exposure to British artists such as Constable and Gainsborough. Perhaps because of the lack of these artistic facilities, my outlook and tastes are limited. I still do not understand or appreciate the appeal of van Gogh, Picasso or Jackson Pollack etc.
Since starting to paint professionally I have concluded that tonal values in a painting are as important, if not more so, than colour. Caravaggio and Rembrandt are two good examples of how few colours were needed to produce their masterpieces.
In order to interpret the three dimensional qualities and design in a picture I concentrate on light, mid and dark tones by drawing tonal sketches before starting every painting. I hope I have now developed my own style which can be recognized. My greatest ambition is to keep improving and produce better and better pictures which will be appreciated by many people.
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