Preparing a canvas surface, for me, is a lot like archaeology. These are some of the under coat surfaces in my new paintings. Developing stories beneath the foreground is one of the most important aspects of my painting. The research I do, that immersion, happens here. There is a set of 9 canvases for which I have collaged old maps from second hand atlases from the mid 70s. Reflecting on the cartography of the world, the way we imagine it, I am putting myself into the mind of the being who is awaiting creation in these narratives. These have been divided up into 3 colour sets, and I am in the process of layering acrylic paint very slowly.

At the same time I have begun the main painting with three of the figures in this story: The she-wolf, as portrayed by US punk singer from The Nuns Jennifer Miro. She very generously sent me some images of herself from New York. That's about her archetype and I'll talk about that another time.

The twins are modelled on the phantom torsos which are used by a European space agency and by NASA and names Matroushka and Fred-respectively. I'm working with the ancient Roman myth of Romulus and Remus so, that is going on at the same time as I am painting. Working that out between doing the coats on the 9 canvases and then returning to the main work. The influence each other in this way. The Twins are modelled on a very clever physicist at the University of Austria who has been very supportive in my explorations of quantum physics-Professor Caslav Brukner. So they are both playing roles in these paitings.

As I said, these are the earliest part of my painting, and the final image will be miles from this, but it gives you an idea of the process of layering, the sheer analogue nature, of what I do in the studio. Often there isnt much to talk about, you have to do it.