Alternative inspiration
I generally paint landscapes and seascapes in soft pastel and particularly enjoy working en plein air, both here in the UK and during my travels abroad. I work predominantly in pastel and love them for their rich colours and the mark making possibilities they offer. My way of working is to create small pastels in the field and using these, and the associated photo reference, to create larger studio pieces. It’s possible for us artists to become comfortable in a certain way of working and, whilst we do continue to improve with experience, it can be at a gradual, considered pace.
Sudden restrictions
Life, however, can sometimes throw trips were difficult to argue as a necessary journey and, to be honest, seemed ridiculously unimportant given the terrible situation that was unfolding around the world. My galleries shut their doors but, as an artist, I still needed to make pictures. It is what we artists do, after all, and we are lucky to be able to escape at any time, whilst remaining inside, when things are tough.
