I find the process of applying paint to a canvas and experimenting with colour and texture fascinating. I love painting in detail, and I would say that I am very methodical in how I work, so with every piece of work that I do, I challenge myself to make it more intricate and of higher quality than the last. I am interested in figurative paintings, and how emotion can be portrayed, and for my AS Level exam project, I explored the mystery surrounding darkness, and captured the emotions of the figure through photographs, drawings and a large oil painting. Bill Henson’s work inspired me in this project, as I like how his images are haunting and seem to have a story behind them. Visiting the 2011 BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, I was able to see a vast range of portraits, and I loved comparing the photorealist pieces with the more abstracted paintings.

Drawing is an essential and valuable skill to have in art, and I use drawings to plan my sustained pieced and put across artistic ideas. It’s amazing how Juan Francisco Casas uses such a basic and mundane material, a biro, to create such beautiful and realistic drawings. I attend life drawing sessions, which have been a great opportunity to draw the human figure from observation, and have helped me to develop my drawing skills, work to a short time limit and work in different materials.

Enrolling on an Art Foundation diploma course would be a very enriching experience, as it would allow me to explore all facets of art that I haven’t yet been able to try out, such as graphic design and illustration. I also think that an Art Foundation course will help me confirm what I want to do at degree level.