Ananke 1 Painting

I work in paint mixed with glue and water to create unexpected abstract colour landscapes, dripping and mixing, layering and controlling what may start as a fairly random adventure, but usually with a specific outcome in mind. Melding acrylics in vibrant or soothing tones, I mix several batches of paint before embarking on a new piece.The goal is a potentially beautiful play of colour. This is chosen to lend depth to the ideas I'm trying to convey. Themes I return to include nature, the climate catastrophe, and feminism. I'm a Londoner, originally from Carlisle in the north, and came down to study at University. Sadly the subject was not art, although it would have been my first choice if earning a living had not been a priority. I worked in fashion, as the Buying Director for Freedom jewellery and numerous other brands for many years, which enabled me to use and develop my love of colour, but also means that my sense of guilt impels me to create work that might help me atone for my sins against the planet! Artists who have seriously influenced me include Frank Bowling, Aboudia, Marlene Dumas, Odilon Redon and Gauguin. Recurring motifs are 'Furies', which can be interpreted as avenging women, elements, apocalyptic figures etc, the land and the sea, often incorporating abstract flora and fauna, as well as drawing on the colour palettes or subjects of renowned artists. Most recently this is Gauguin: reclaiming his Tahitian women as dominant, positive, drip-rendered 'witches'.