Cécile Circles Painting

I grew up in West Cumbria, on the edge of the Lake District National Park. After some time away at art college in the north east of England, University in Nottingham, and work in Austria and the French Alps, I returned to my roots and settled 10 miles from where I grew up, in a small coastal village called St Bees. I have been working full time as an artist since 2015 when I gave up work as a product manager at Derwent Pencils to focus 100% on my painting activities. I take inspiration from nature, from colours and shapes and patterns that I see every day. I love tessellation, and repeat patterns that suddenly change. I like unexpected shifts, and clashing colours. I like to lose control with paint splashes and blown layers. I begin each painting with a light sketch, that I use as a base to start building layers of colour. I dilute acrylic paint & ink to blow different colours around the board to generate the basic form of my subject. Having a fairly loose feel to these layers forces me to let go of having control over how each detail will sit, and I can enjoy letting the piece evolve. Introducing the geometric patterns in stark contrast to fluid marks is my favourite part of the process; all shapes and patterns are drawn free hand, allowing me to break the pattern whenever I feel.