Focus on Line and Form

It’s nearly a year now since I had a painting trip to Cornwall, based in St Ives and mainly working in that area or in a studio at the St Ives School of Art. A small group of artists ‘on retreat’ came together here regularly and spent evenings together, which led to a wonderful exchange of ideas - being a painter can be very isolating. A whole body of work has emerged from this experience, which is quite different from my usual style. I love the contrast between the emerging parallel directions in my practise - impressionistic/linear abstract.

‘Abstract in Blue and Turquoise’ is a work with elements of St Ives woven through it - shapes of buildings remembered from my sketching trips and the wonderful colours of the sea holding it all together.

‘Dreams 1’ began with a beautiful sunny day and a cup of coffee, sat in a corner of my garden with a sketchbook. I just started drawing lines to express the shapes and outlines of what I could see around me. Flowers, stems, trellis were all reduced to absolute simplicity, which I then used to make a composition on a large canvas, looking out of my studio window to help me decide on the colour combinations I would focus on.

In complete contrast ‘Early Morning from the Boat’ is a tiny work in oil, painted in my preferred style of many years. This involves very loose brushwork, straight onto a blank canvas, which gives a very impressionistic feel.

A ‘plein air’ work painted on a blustery day at Sennowe Park in Norfolk.

I love working in both of these styles and will continue exploring different ideas, hopefully keeping the work fresh and expressive.