My aim is to energise the viewer. Through strong, contrasting colour, rhythmic abstraction and powerful gestures, I want to leave them as invigorated as I feel after witnessing the intensity of the waves crashing on the sun-drenched cliffs of my native Croatian coastline.

Chance discovery is the most delightful part of my process, achieved with unconventional art tools from hair combs to kitchen utensils. Scraping paint with silicone wedges, removing it with baby wipes, and playing with splatter, drips, and sprays, lets me create a rich variety of unique effects. Energy and movement are key to my art, so I work intuitively with acrylics on deep-edge canvases. This instinctive approach is followed by considered refinement.

My love of experimentation connects me to the Abstract Expressionists, especially women artists who created in the uncertain times of the mid-20th century. Like them, I find refuge and an outlet for emotional expression in non-figurative art. My work is informed by Lee Krasner's colourful collages, Elaine de Kooning's vivacious sports scenes and Franz Kline's high-contrast paintings. The colour sensibility of contemporary artist Barbara Rae has a profound influence on me, as does the father of Croatian abstraction, Edo Murtić.