I love Riikka

Riikka Sormunen's work is amazing! I am quite taken by her colour palette and the crazy amount of fine detail she puts into every little thing. Her stylistic approach to figures and the way she contrasts uber decorative fabric with flat coloured interiors is an approach I like to take in my own work.

I remember a few years ago at university a painting tutor once told me that the my subject matter tends to stare towards the 'exotic'. At the time I felt affronted, huh, what does he mean? That I like to draw sexy ladies? Animals? Is that too kitsch? It wasn't until later after finding myself trawling through countless books on Japonesque and trying to mimic Indian folk paintings did I realise that, oh I guess he was right. I find these exotic themes all through out Sormunen's work too, which is why I like them so much.

Missing You

This photo was taken six years ago from my old flat on Scarborough terrace. I was completing this series of paintings for a life drawing class at university. After they had been assessed I went to pick them up from class and they were gone, I never saw them again. I was so upset at losing them after all the time I spent on them (not to mention getting an A+ grade^^) and not knowing their fate. However as I was scrolling though some old photos on the computer I found this photo of these 'works in progress' which I had completely forgotten about. There is something nice and nostalgic about this photo. Had I got the paintings back i'm certain they would have suffered the same fate as the rest of my life drawing work- their life spent covered in dust under the spare bed at my parents house.

Sweet Space

In 2010 I was asked to design and paint a wall mural for a little girls bedroom. I really wanted to create a playful narrative, inspired by the colours and geometric shapes in Alexander Girards work, this is what I came up with

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