I have been painting all my life; having had no formal art training, I am a self taught artist. I was first encouraged by my late father Mark Proctor, who was a commercial artist. My father could sketch almost anything very well and quickly; which always fascinated me, and I wanted to be able do it to, so he showed me how.
My Father told me, never draw a straight line and never draw a whole line, always break them up when you sketch, and change the weight applied to the pencil to make your marks interesting. What great advice this was! I still sketch this way today, as it is very important to be able to sketch with ease.
I paint in oils, in daylight only. I start with a charcoal sketch; concentrating mainly on balance and composition before I begin painting. I always work with a very large mirror behind me and keep on glancing over my shoulder to check things out from a different angle. I work very quickly indeed and rapidly apply the paint. I use a “strictly” limited palette and mix with care before painting. It is bold, fast, confident brush work that makes things work for me, as once I slow down and start picking at the work I know it is finished. Its on these occasions, that I can hear my Father shouting “leave it alone.”
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