The idea of painting bubbles came to me five years ago, as I observed a single bubble floating against a black backdrop. There was a dreamlike quality to this momentary distraction and I began to wonder if somehow I could transfer this to the canvas. This new impetus, combined with my interest in figurative work, led to the completion of a short series of works in 2008. After this, the idea remained at the back of my mind for a while as I continued with other projects. I found however, that I kept returning to the bubble theme. I had only completed a handful of pieces and felt a strong motivation to explore further.

The bubble exists for a moment. I felt that to have a chance of capturing some worthwhile moments, I would need to escape from my everyday environment. The bubble itself seemed to convey a sense of escapism and ephemeral beauty, so rather than having my subjects visit my studio for a series of formulated images, I decided to relocate to Paris. For three months I explored the city; location scouting, making new friends, sketching, taking photographs. I felt a great sense of liberation in my new home, revelling in the unfamiliar sights, sounds and rich winter colours.

Something that struck me about those people, men and women of all ages, whom I asked to pose for this project, was the willingness to shed their inhibitions when it came to something as innocently childlike as blowing a bubble. All over Paris, whether in the bustling streets, on the metro, at a civil rights rally, there was something in this simple action that seemed to make those participating forget where they were for those few moments. Indeed, they often welcomed the opportunity to temporarily detach from the outside world, becoming fully absorbed in the task.

Some of the paintings I will be presenting in my exhibition are the result of a brief, spontaneous encounter. For others the location was selected by the subject themselves, chosen for the particular significance it held for them, or simply somewhere they felt comfortable.

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