Through colour there is always a sense of discovery in the environment. It is not simply the physical aspect of it, but also the spiritual and the emotional aspects. I am attracted to people, cultures and surroundings which are natural and earthy.

Living in Kenya gives one a great awareness of nature. I love the natural environment. One is the underwater world and the other one is flowers and trees. So many blues in the water and vivid hues of many colours mong the coral reefs and fish.

My paintings of the underwater world are large as one views the never ending experience of my passion for water. The vibrant rhythms of undersea life are exciting and transport one into a feeling for the sublime.

There is so much to think about in the world, so much to do, so much to learn. I feel good when I am in my studio because you don’t have anything else to think about except the image in front of you. The experience makes you humble. My instincts are to create work that will inspire and inform.

Understanding the past and present is neither simple nor merely intuitive for any artist: it requires hard work, a dedication to constantly searching for it in any way possible.

I am a thoroughly cross-cultural artist whose willingness to explore and accept new ideas and skills is of vital importance to my continuing development as a painter. Including the mabati from my studio roof has been my latest and most challenging experiment. I wanted to keep something sacred from my studio, which is also my prayer room.

I am a member of the Baha’i Faith. One of its tenets is: “if you want to be happy, try to make someone else happy.” I hope my paintings will do this in different ways for many people, even after I have left this earthly plane.