I hope to be a professional painter, specializing in figurative work and landscapes, working from life under natural light. I am most inspired by the naturalism of the 19th Century though I appreciate a broad array of painters from different eras, from Velázquez to Munch. Perhaps my greatest idol is Abbot Thayer and I hope that one day my paintings will be as well executed, tender and human as his were. 

I am not there yet, however, and this is why I am still studying. Certainly at the core of great realism, which so often carries an emotional weight is an in depth study and analysis of nature. Art is visual communication, and to communicate something well you have to understand it well yourself. Perhaps we can go one step further and say that the more simply and concisely you can explain something, the better you understand it. This thought is always in the back of my mind and my greatest educational goal is to simplify and strengthen my visual language through really studying and seeking to understand the characteristics of what I portray. Why it appears the way it does. There is already such character and expression in nature, perhaps most of all in the human form as it is what we empathize with best. If I can further my ability to conceptualise reality and draw/ paint things that look real and convincing (with simple efficient language) I will certainly be one step closer to making powerful artwork.

After the Summer, I hope to complete my final trimester at the Florence Academy of Art. The school has benefited my artistic ability and knowledge immensely and I’m sure this final term of study will continue to do so. Unfortunately I am struggling with the costs of the school fees and whilst the school has been very generous in giving me a scholarship, I am hoping that the ARC will aid me financially to complete my studies.