I believe Thurber was correct when he suggested that the noblest study of mankind is Man (the species, not the gender). The closest a painter may come to this study is surely the human being. Where people are not available to the artist, then the landscapes that formed them must stand as model.
The latest work represents a return to oil following a period using a range of other media.
If a piece comes easily, often it’s too easy. My best work usually follows when I have to think, adapting and pulling things back into line, when I have to fight every step of the way.