"Van Gogh Girls" Painting

“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” Francis Bacon Although In her earlier role as a teacher, where everything had been more or less structured, Maureen's creative pursuits and passions were always on display. Music and art were a prominent feature within her portfolio as an educationalist. Her classrooms for young children were a continuous feast of colour and vibrancy. Following a career in education, Maureen began painting replicas of works by artists such as Ernst Kirchner, Gauguin, Dufy and Pablo Picasso among others. Although she found this practice immensely satisfying, she always had a compelling desire to create her own original works. Maureen had delayed this consideration, as it seemed so daunting to have to rely almost entirely on her own imagination. Eventually, however, she managed to go ‘solo’ and from her earlier artistic practice, find her own creative style. Picasso claimed, 'Good artists borrow and great artists steal.'' And so, while all artists are influenced by others, the most impactful artists transform borrowed ideas into something uniquely their own. ' While Maureen's paintings display a diversity of genres, they all highlight her dominant color palette and style. Intense layering of paint within each artwork brings her closer to the depth of color she desires. Maureen has never been drawn to paint exclusively on one subject or theme. Painting for her is like reading.. A documentary, a day at the races, a thriller or a love story . Each artwork exudes its own unique appeal Her paintings cross over multiple genres, which focus on everyday life experiences and memories which often include horses, flowers, seascapes, portraits and dancers. She loves to paint characters in a simplistic, yet sophisticated way giving each one a lifelike persona. Maureen began painting her original artworks using carefully defined brush strokes with an emphasis on detail. Every daub of paint was scrutinized and earned its own rightful place within the painting. Recently, though, her paintings have evolved significantly and taken on a more relaxed and confident artistic freedom. She chooses rich and contrasting hues for her works, often painting multiple layers with texture and using loose and expressive brush strokes, especially when painting large expanses like the sea and the sky.