I started off in geology and chemisty, then moved on to a masters degree in environmental science, and finally did a PhD in ecology at Trinity College Dublin. I held positions in Trinity College, the Geological Survey, and finally University College Dublin where I worked in the Physics Department studying the after-effects of nuclear accidents and outputs from power stations. For eight years I ran the radiocarbon laboratory in the Physics Department at University College Dublin. In 2004 I finally did what everyone says you shouldn’t – I gave up the day job. In hindsight, it’s to be highly recommended.

Although Science and the Arts are seen as being poles apart, I believe that in many respects they are very close. The production of art and science both depend on the opening and stretching of the imagination, and on curiosity. Curiosity is the seed and after that comes the struggle to acquire the technical tools to express your ideas. Painting and chemisty are inextricable: mixing and drying, solvents, and substrates, timing reactions, experimenting to find a process that produces something original and different.

Many of my images are derived from memories and imaginings of the natural world. Anyone who has ever looked down a high powered microscope will probably recognise the source of some of my abstract images. Some of the paintings are botanical but I’m also inclined to dream of where science will take us in the future. I paint a world where gravity is conquered and movement and travel are effortless.

I now live between Salvador, Brazil, and Dublin. The inset photo is the view from my studio in Brazil. I have been exhibiting regularly with shows in Dublin, Barcelona, Salvador and London.

The smallest of the paintings shown are a little smaller than the size of your computer monitor (unframed) and the largest pieces are up to 2m x 2m. Most of the earlier paintings are oil on canvas, on board or on hand-made paper. More recently I paint primarily in acrylics, often adding metals to the paints to achieve lusters and textures. If you are interested in any particular image, I will send you all the details and background to the piece. My contact details are below. I always enjoy hearing from people who have seen the paintings.