WRITTEN BY DAVID HOLLINGTON…
Animals and birds are messengers, healers and protagonists within the narrative structure of my paintings.

The drawing process is closely connected to forms of Shamanism where a channel is opened between the human and animal worlds. There is a lack of control and a looseness during this state,objects and forms that are undetermined shift and change shape until a message is received and understood.At this point a key animal will materialise,usually one of my trinity of a fox, a hare and a barn owl. Once the pivotal animal is in place then the stage is set for human figures or deities, Hindu or Celtic to interact with them. The deity reflects both my Scottish origins and my life long fascination with Indian mysticism.When all the elements have locked into place I begin to see in colour and sense what time of day the story is taking place.

Folklore, songs and myths have a huge influence and create a contextual framework around the more mutable elements involved in creating each painting.

Recently a larger spectrum of British garden birds have been introduced into my visual vocabulary. Everything that happens in my studio is a direct response to the life outside it,be that birds and foxes teaming in my garden or travel in wild or mystical countries such as Iceland,Ireland and India.

If there is a larger, overriding theme in my work that would be the need to listen to and nurture the natural world,there is a fine balance and humanity can be responsible for tipping the scales.

An animal or bird is loaded with many more meanings than I can bring to its ancient shape, it becomes a cipher once it has left my hands and alchemically, it is hoped,opens a new frequency with the viewer.