The Mines Original oil painting

These three paintings can stand independently but work equally well as a triptych or diptych. They are inspired by mining in the Cumbrian hills, an industry that would have been at its peak in the 19th Century

Nenthead Mines, close to the County Durham border, is an area of Alston Moor where I live. It is a vast old mining area and is entrenched in the history of the area. The colours reflect the landscape above the ground as well as below and shapes sweep across the canvas, as the wind sweeps across the hills.

I used drone footage to capture shapes and contours and to develop a view of a landscape more complex than by simply looking at ground level. The painting reflects being 'in' the landscape, its history, its weather, its isolation, but also its connection with man.