In Japan at New Year children play a game called Fukuwarai, making new faces from parts cut out and moved around. Making masks to hide identity or just for play is great fun. Apparently a part of the brain called Fusiform is used to recognise faces we start to develop this as soon as we can open our eyes as babies. My intention with this series of paintings is to explore how we can subvert this and force a different response. I am mixing gender, age and ethnicity with the end result the brain struggles to find the starting point of recognition. I am mixing techniques in the same picture, it helps to confuse the eye of the viewer. It’s interesting how the brain disregards some information sometimes and then maybe with a change of mood or light will see a new face emerge.

After I have done the sketching on the computer I am now working with paint because of its more expressive quality. Over thirty years ago I first used Tempera on rabbit skin glue gesso panels, and over glazed with oil. (It’s a North European technique that has been used since Van Eyck and his contemporaries.) I may also use a little Acrylic and Alkyd works well for me. This way of working allows me to mix media extensively without compromising the long-term stability of the work.