Northern Forest Painting

My name is Maria Alice Atkins, I was born in Portugal although I came to England in 1985 and I am now a British Citizen. Basically all my life I've been in the fashion industry and I had the privilege to work with the world's top designers including the likes of Versace, Dior, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, Gianfranco Ferre and Valentino etc. I always had an interest in art but never pursued it until one morning I woke up and told my husband that I was going to buy some canvas and materials to start painting and never stopped. I am a self-taught abstract artist and I believe that being an artist is something that one is born to do and not learned at school so I went on to study through practical experience learning through trial and error and self learning. The creative process for me is one that is both automatic and emotional. The majority of my abstract works are inspired by the music I listen to, the beat, the lyrics, the emotions I feel from the music I am listening to whilst I am creating. For me creating my art is like being on a roller coaster; ups and downs, highs and lows, twists and turns. Painting for me, like life, is constant movement, constant change. The creation process is cathartic, allowing my emotions to spill out onto my canvas as a release.