The Art of Oil Painting: Why I Choose Oils

I am often asked why I work exclusively in oils. The answer is simple: no other medium gives me the depth, richness, and flexibility that oil paint provides.

Oil paint has a luminosity that comes from its slow drying time. Each layer can be worked and reworked, allowing colours to blend and interact in ways that faster-drying media simply cannot achieve.

The texture of oil paint is another joy. From thin, transparent glazes to thick, sculptural impasto, the range of marks you can make is virtually limitless. A single painting might contain passages of silk-smooth blending alongside bold, gestural strokes.

There is also the history. When I pick up a brush and mix my palette, I am using the same fundamental materials that Rembrandt, Monet, and Hockney used. That connection to centuries of artistic tradition is something I find deeply inspiring.