Expressive Abstracts

As my work develops, I find myself drawn towards abstract expressionism. My colour journey deepens and I am more and more interested in the emotional impact of colour on our souls, and the power they have. My colour palette has broadened, however, my basic palette of ultramarine blue, phthalo blue, and raw and burnt umber still gives me everything I need to create oceans, beaches and skies when teamed with white.

I am exploring how to add more visual aspects to my work, in the form of mark-making - using pencil lines, oil pastels and scratching back the paint with the palette knife. This can create more interest and movement, a combination that heightens the emotional impact.

My love of texture is also evolving, and I find myself feeling bolder and more confident when it comes to using thicker paint with a palette knife and adding powders to create peaks. I want to experiment next with plaster and sand, to build up areas of texture. Watch this space!

It all takes time and hours of experimentation to see what works and what doesn’t, and what tools and techniques I decide to incorporate into my paintings. I love the journey however there are times of frustration when my ability doesn’t match my vision, and mistakes are made, even though they are a part of the process.

A moment of pure joy, when something new is discovered is magic and makes it all worth it. An ecstatic encounter, when a viewer connects emotionally with a painting you have created is my reason for making this work.