I've been setting up my mini exhibition at Roots Cafe this morning. It's the first time I've displayed my Remembered Landscapes series and I'm excited to share them with you! This collection of six artworks started as an experiment in coloured backgrounds and how they influence the quality of the final piece. I chose to paint a remembered landscape which proved difficult, perhaps understandably so because memory is notoriously tricky to pin down. But it felt like something worth pursuing.
I love what can emerge artistically if you allow a bit of experimentation. One of my art teachers said, ‘If your art isn’t working then don’t feel precious about it, get radical!’ So I began to cut the painting into strips. I find it hard to let anything that I’ve created go, they feel too precious, too much a part of me so this process included some grieving! But I instantly knew I’d made the right decision. The black strips of the paper behind the painting brought the colours vividly into focus. The bright strips of colour now a tantalising glimpse into the past, leaving room for imagination to fill the gaps, which is half of what memory is anyway.
I created six altogether. Collectively they span different countries and times and emotions. And they, of course, provoke different memories in each observer which I love to hear about. It adds to the richness of the piece, as our collective memories layer on top of each other.
My exhibition will be on display at Roots for the month of April. I'll be popping in from time to time so I might see you there! I’m considering making prints available - Contact me if you're interested.
