In 2004 I was working in a cardboard recycling business, and started to think about using more recycled materials in my artwork. I experimented with shredded paper mixed into emulsion paint, having been interested in papier maché for many years,. I had absolutely no idea what would happen, and whether the mixture would set, or turn into mash!  Fortunately the mixture once applied did set, and so I started to create some bigger pictures as below. To reduce the weight, I used thick corrugated cardboard as a surface onto which I created the pictures.  I have combined some of my ideas, to create what I believe are very tactile pictures, using textured plaster for the 'flatter' detail, and my own mixture to create the detail such as vegetation.  Using these materials I have managed to increase the picture size to approximately 24in by 18in, and still keep the weight reasonable.
This was the first of my new style and size of picture, using thick corrugated cardboard with a wooden frame.  I wanted to move away from flat frontages, and explore the angles of perspective.	This was the picture created and exhibited for the 2004 annual open exhibition at the Howarth Museum//Gallery in Accrington. The theme for the exhibition was the Four Seasons, so I create a café/hotel/restaurant called 'Quatre Saisons', and the vegetation represents each of the seasons.
This picture shows a typical small town square, with the Hotel de Ville/Mairie and a local café, both very important buildings in the town.