Angelique Hartigan

My energetic and vibrant paintings with trademark explosions of colour and partial abstractions are a way for me to explore the images and places I am drawn to, the process of painting itself and my own personality. I am influenced by the process, weather, music, colour, angles, shadows, my travels, the place in which I live and the artist Peter Doig. Expressive strokes of paint, together with more traditional mark making, are a way for me to both investigate the initial image and use this as a jumping off point to a more abstract style.

I'm often drawn to buildings seen through trees, across fields or seen from odd angles (see "Reach for the Sky, Regensburg", Germany) and more recently the inclusion of a human element to bring a narrative component to my work (see "To the Sea, Massa Lubrense", Italy). I develop my images through electronic collage pushing the colour, then work to music to dive into the process using a mixture of oils and acrylics, both separately and together. I use various techniques including thin screen print scrapings of paint across the canvas with a palette knife, controlled splashes, drips and spills. I like to work quickly with clean layers of colour, splashes and washes waiting for each layer to dry ...