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After my two post-graduate scholarships in Paris and India, responding to new cultures and recording my experiences became an irregular spur within my work. In 1995 we went to Ghana and Burkina Faso backpacking. I produced a folding book of watercolours from which painting came on my return to the studio. Returning to Africa in 2004 we toured around Senegal with the children. This trip had a deep impact and a series of eight drawings resulted from the sketches made during our journey.

The charity BibleLands employed me to join two pilgrimages as an artist in residence; to Egypt in 2003 and then Palestine/Israel in 2004. On both occasions I accompanied the party to their charity works and sightseeing, but was given a free hand to draw whatever I chose. In both cases I stayed on after the main party returned, to explore and work on my own. I found the excitement of being in a new terrain, without quite knowing what was going to happen next, invigorating. Following my African trips I worked in a similar manner, drawing in a sketchbook with felt tips and pencil. As my part of the deal there were two subsequent solo shows consisting of collages, linocuts, drawings and mixed media paintings.

Travelling takes you out of the humdrum concerns of routine life, whilst at the same time allowing the current issues of the studio practice to find a new outlet.