5-25 August 2023
The works in this selection show a fresh approach in my art practice, moving away from the previously structured arrangements with delineated areas of bright colours and patterns which have become my recognisable style.
‘Fresh’ applies to the sense of renewed vigour I have experienced with this change. I have never felt stale or frozen in the art I create, but making this ‘fresh produce’, in which I have stepped away from predictability to challenge myself with a different process, has been refreshing and stimulating.
These works have been executed with no pre-planning. I have painted directly onto the canvas, blending paint colours in the course of the composition’s evolution, then using coloured pencils for additional detailing afterwards.
The circular rather than rectangular format has made me more aware of rhythms of energy in the compositions, and this has suited my subject matter of changing weather - particularly swirling clouds and mist - in land and seascapes.
I do not aim to depict authentic locations, or to paint botanically accurate flower studies. Instead of referring to photographs, I prefer to translate my outdoor observations through memory and imagination to arrive at something that feels real to me, with a sense of familiarity and recognition.
