Painting passion

Although I spend the majority of my time working in 3D with clay, painting is another key part of my creative personality. Painting & drawing is just something I have always done. Some of my earliest memories are of being in a state of contented immersion in a drawing - exploring the world, and my inner world on paper. I recall a huge sense of pride (and disbelief) when at age 6, my painting won the Infant School Art Prize. I know, giddy hieghts! I was in the local paper and everything! But it strikes me now that even at 6 years old, my art was the thing that mattered to me.

Recent paintings

In paint I feel a freedom to explore colour and express a deeper, more emotional response to themes and my experiences. I feel that it allows me to unlock a part of my creativity that clay doesn’t reach, well, not in the same way. It has a different language and calls from deep within, if you let it.

As you may guess, I am very much into Abstract Expressionism. I think the reason I am so drawn to this kind of art is because it is open to interpretation and leaves space for me to connect with a painting in my own way. Connections can be made with the energy of mark making, layering of paint and the use of colour. The presence of the artist is palpable on the surface of the canvas with each stroke of the brush, line and daub capturing a moment in time. I realise that the same could be said of all art, not just Abstract Expressionism but for me it seems to expose a deeper expression than one that is an artists’ vision. It is an internal view of what cannot be formally said or expressed in any other way.

If you enjoy a bit of Abstract Expressionism too, you may like to read my previous blog form a visit to Whitechapel gallery which was SO inspiring. Read it here.