No No Longer Painting

This series was painted at a time when I felt very unsettled in myself, between places, between different stages in my life, Betwixt and Between. This reflected what seemed to be going on outside in the world too. So these paintings began with throwing myself into the abstract composition, playing with colours, allowing feelings to arise and express. I love using bold colours, building up layers, working intuitively, allowing for random marks and moves. My overall aim is to find a harmony between all the different elements whether they are totally abstract shapes or more recognisable things (eg. faces). I used photographs of myself at different stages in my life because I wanted to relate the paintings back to myself as the common denominator, the inner self as the only constant in an ever changing situation of life. The process of the painting is the most important aspect for me, and reflects the experience of living, having to juggle many different aspects and work out how to hold all these different elements in a kind of peaceful resonance.