Neil Williams is an illustrator of cows and a painter of beautifully measured, abstract landscapes. The cow studies are frank and minimally embellished, the landscapes are expansive, visual wanderings through the Peninsula hills. “I’ve always been drawn to the country. As a child I’d play in the local woods near my family home in England, often for hours on end - building camps, traipsing through fields and exploring. Since 1997 my inspiration and home has been the Mornington Peninsula and again I often find myself out exploring the countryside - sketching and painting constructed landscapes created by the tree and fence lined properties. I strip back the elements to simple, abstracted forms and aim to draw the viewer into the work. These works become for me, links to my memories and the paths I have chosen. My constant companions while I work are the cattle - curiously we watch each other. Through my etchings I aim to capture their gently form and inquisitive character and create artwork rich with emotion and form. The latest ‘cow study’ series explores their individual identity.”