A Return to Watercolours
After hitting a milestone birthday this summer it seems like I have also come full circle with my art. The first time I picked up a brush and took to painting fairly seriously was at the age of 15. It was actually my friends mother who bought me my first set of artist quality paints and brushes. I remember it was a beautiful wooden hinged box of Windsor and Newton with a small set of watercolour blocks inside. It was the first (and only) time it was recognised by anyone that I was into art at that age. My direct family were all scientists and that was the path chosen for me – one of academia and laboratories. However, after college and during the holidays I spent hours sketching and painting the view from the kitchen into the garden. I tried to incorporate fine pen work into the watery subtle landscapes reminiscent of Beatrix Potters style (who I loved at the time). A few years later I was off to Uni and my spare time was filled with very different pursuits – parties mainly! and so I left my brushes behind for many many years.
After returning to my art in my late thirties my main medium of choice were acrylics then inks. The move back to watercolour recently has been a truly blessed one as I have not felt so motivated to paint for a very long time. I’m loving learning how to work and manipulate the medium again, practising the various techniques and enjoying the delicateness of the brushes and the gentle light touched movements. Of course the principles of fluid dynamics all apply again too and memories of those few years studying physics bring me joy as well as a chance to revisit my chaos and order projects.
Art or Craft?
The use of embroidery hoops raises an interesting question as it blurs the boundaries of what I am creating.
Is it art or craft?
My original plan and intention was actually very practical. I wanted to use the hoop frame as a paper stretcher to prevent warping when wet. I hoped this may be an alternative to taping the paper down and stretching it in the traditional way. I just couldn’t get the tension and taughtness tight enough for it to be of any use in this way but I do still like the question it raises about which discipline it falls under. Once spray varnished the paper remains well protected and the clear visibility of the paper’s texture also appeals to me.
Latest work – Erosion
My latest watercolour painting uses a slightly new pallette than previous. Blue is a recurring theme in nearly all my work – there isn’t a single hue of it that I don’t love! Paired with a dark rust orange this latest abstract represents the heat and fires that are ravaging, the melting away of ice and erosion of the rivers edge as a result of #climatechange and #globalwarming. I feel this is a subject worth exploring more through this medium.
Quite often I do not know what I want to create exactly and ideas and concept build after the very few basic shapes and foundations have taken shape. This is why I love painting so much as each piece sparks imagination and creativity that leads you down a path to explore. The positive energy it gives your brain and emotional mindset when participating in it far surpasses any thing else in my opinion. After two weeks of painting every single day I can honestly say I feel clear headed and mentally relaxed.
‘Erosion’ along with my other paintings are available to buy from my new online shop.