On first encountering the original paintings of Ono Chikkyo, a modernist master of Japanese painting (Nihonga), I was deeply moved and wanted to learn about the method which was so suited to the kind of landscape and nature paintings that I am moved to produce. In particular the purity of the colours - the blues, green, ochres and whites, and the soft rich textures, seemed to resonate with my spirit. The materials seemed so well suited to celebrating nature. These include hand made Japanese paper with its strong natural fibres, sumi, seashell white, earth and semi-precious, mineral pigments and gold and silver leaf.

The aesthetic principles of Japanese Art which are said to have developed from profound contemplation of nature, also greatly appeal to me. Such principles as “wabi” and “sabi”, for example, belong to Japan’s unique culture, but can be understood by people around the world, as expressions of mans relationship to nature.