Morocco (1)

“I rented a house in Marrakesh for a month, since I had for some time wanted to paint there. I did lots of sketches and took photographs, but although I completed paintings on my return, it took some time before “Morocco” began to gel in my mind and this seemed a natural progression into semi-abstract work and being able to portray what I really felt about Marrakesh. It is a fantastic place, and I could never quite grasp the spirit of it, but in my recent paintings I feel very happy with the result: the patterns, the clashing colours in the markets, the clothes women wore, the carpets, and the bustle of life. I also found that I had not taken any photographs or done sketches of things that eventually surfaced in my mind and used in the paintings. Living in the Middle East for so long I was used to the noise and atmosphere but Morocco has the edge and the culture. I could see influences in their crafts of so many cultures. A simply fascinating place.”