The paintings in this show are inspired by a constantly growing collection of film and television ‘stills’. They are often the connecting scenes, the ‘mise-en-scène’ that create a setting for the narrative to play out. I began collecting these stills about 5 years ago... something as simple as a colour combination/composition or texture can be all that inspires me to want to use the image. I’m interested in the way that these glimpses of stage sets and scenery flow into the next scene where all of the action might happen. The potential of these spaces and the lingering sense that something bigger is about to happen... A ‘sound bridge’ within film references the audio that is used in a succeeding scene to flow and overlap into the preceding scene. Often I might jot down words or feelings that I have in the moment when hearing these sounds and these help to inform the next painting. There is a sense of flow, from one film still to the next, yet they are independent separate scenes - often used within a film to ground a story or give it context. Traces of objects or symbolism are often mimicked and repeated within each scene or space and I like to consider this within the paintings I’m making for the show. Often split into 3 Acts. Act 1, the set up. Act 2, the confrontation & Act 3, the resolution. I think that for most of the scenes they feel very much like Act 1 and 3, the before and the after... Although I have been using these film stills quite closely, I have only been using them as the initial inspiration. My work as it develops becomes far more intuitive and instinctual, and by this developing in front of me on the panel as I make the paintings, I notice a lot of personal objects and personal references creep in, and these for me are perhaps the most interesting parts. It often isn’t until they are all together that it all sort of slots into place for me, and I notice how although these paintings are very inspired by external imagery, they have very clear ideas that are formed around me and ongoing in my own life. Examples of this are the fish in ‘through a fish bowl’ - they didn’t feature in the film still shot of an interior, but my daughter had just learnt the word ‘fish’ and it brought so much joy - I guess I don’t need to really overly explain these decisions, but perhaps just acknowledge for myself that there are deeply personal symbols and feelings within the works and I think that’s so important that this is evolving within the paintings more and more. Sound bridges are like an echo - something repeated and continuing, that reappears and conjures a new feeling and emotion when paired to a different image (or new scene) in the same way that memory can influence a moment, the remembering of a sound but then hearing it in a current moment - becomes something completely different.