Its important to me for my work to imply movement: that the world is not a static place, that everywhere things move, perhaps only visible over the vastness of geological time. This idea that the world is always changing gives me hope that the heavy weight of mankind on the earth can evolve towards a light touch and I hope that by opening a window to the beauty of the world my art moves people to care more for this earth and all the life upon it.

It remains a personal narrative though: the relationship between me and the things of beauty that surround me. They speak to me and I listen and translate what I hear through my eyes into images. I work with my whole body as it is with my whole body that I see, feel, absorb earth, trees, water, sky. It’s like poetry in motion, the poetry of colour.

Sometimes I get an idea and it takes me somewhere that surprises and delights me. This is the power of liquid medium – they flow and blend in ways that you can not perfectly predict until it is happening – many times the work takes me along with it until the end result is entirely it’s own creation. These are the works that satisfy me the most because they are fresh, a unique response to the day, place, even the moisture in the air, the music I have been listening to, or the sound of birds. Similarly, when I am printing or sewing on the machine, whilst initially there is a plan, the surprise of the final outcome as you reveal the result is what delights me.

I know the work is finished when it tells me – in my heart, soul, chi – that special place that makes me feel alive. This, I hope, is the effect that my art has on others too: alive, aware, appreciative of beauty and of loss.

It’s said that it takes Deliberate Practice to develop the skills needed to be a true professional. About 10,000 hours to reach the bottom of the ladder. By my calculations I am now part way up the (endless) ladder, having reached the magic 10,000 hours about 6 years ago (18 years climbing now, interspersed in the first 12 years with some fairly trying parenting periods). Its been a continual striving to improve and develop techniques that are my own, drawing something out of my own psyche, my own unique experiences to create a fulfilling piece of work. Continually seeking new inspirations and challenging myself learning new techniques in painting, printmaking and now using stitch and textiles as a medium to extend myself into the third dynamic dimension.

And where to now? A life long climb – exploring , extending and challenging myself constantly trying to improve. There never will be a ‘Dean’ style, but perhaps towards the end of my endeavours I will have made a body of work to be proud of – one where an outside viewer can see the development, perhaps feel the thought processes that led to the evolution of techniques. And I hope that through looking at my work they will be able to feel the joy of life, the sorrow of loss and find strength through seeing beauty in the world.