Since when and with which techniques do you primarily work?

My fascination with oil paints began in 2012 when I completed my MA in Fine Art at the City & Guilds of London Art School. I prefer working on large canvases using the transparent MUSSINI colours from Schmincke, which are perfect for working in oil glaze layers.

Do you have favourite themes? What inspires you?

The pictures always start with me looking inwards and imagining what colours I see. I draw inspiration from ideas about the body, advanced medical science and late modern colour field painting. I am fascinated by how colour can evoke meaning and influence our entire perception of the world, whether it's the landscape of the body or that of nature.

Where do you prefer to paint?

I have a studio at the ASC Art House in South London. I love the sense of community with other artists but also have a very private, self-contained space with amazingly high ceilings and wonderful natural light for painting.

Can you still remember your first Schmincke colour?

Yes, I remember: it was Schmincke MUSSINI Cadmium Red Medium. I painted a very large oil painting over 2.5 meters high and was completely overwhelmed by the brilliance and intensity of the pigment. When I started with oil painting, I wasn't quite clear about the differences in drying times between pigments. I contacted Schmincke's technical department, who explained that the pigment concentration in the MUSSINI and NORMA Professional ranges are much higher. I could influence the drying time by adding mediums. One thing led to another and a very exciting visit to the factory in Erkrath helped me to understand so much more about oil pigments and their respective drying times.
 

What makes MUSSINI special?

The MUSSINI range stands out from other brands due to its special formula of dammar resin combined with drying oils. This unique combination gives the paint a glossy effect and ensures also the drying. I love the blend of traditional and modern colours as well, as all 110 shades are based on the formulations of old masters. The high pigment concentration ensures maximum lightfastness, and the intense pigment saturation makes the paint very economical. It's hard to pick a favorite because the entire collection of 44 glaze colours is so individually deep in its effects. The effects are not unlike looking through stained glass. Since I work with glazes, these pigments are perfect for applying in multiple layers to give depth to my paintings.

And what is special about them?

Veridian is a beautiful, semi-transparent, gentle green, not unlike the Schweinfurt green used extensively in the nineteenth century. It’s a versatile pigment with high concentration. I like to mix it with Royal Blue Light to get an almost luminous aqua colour, or I add some Jaune Brilliant to get a vibrant, bright green. Veridian is also great when mixed with Alizarin Madder Lake to create soft grey tones.

Transparent Orange is quite unique because most orange tones are opaque. It is highly concentrated, so you really don’t need much of it. I regularly use very small amounts when I want to slightly tone down a blue pigment. However, it can also be used on its own, giving a wonderful shimmer when applied over yellow.
 

How can we learn from you?

I have released a series of online instructional videos aimed at helping artists, especially painters to learn more about oil painting. Many artists want to try oil painting but don’t know how to use certain mediums to influence drying times or understand the "fat over lean" rule. The goal of these films was to address all these questions and highlight the wide range of Schmincke products that make oil painting so much easier for both professional artists and those just starting out.