Wave after Wave, Wave after Wave Painting

The coast and landscape are the main source of inspiration and influence for Zoë. Her work is about the experience of the being in the landscape. Zoe often starts her painting sessions with a short mediation in the landscape, connecting with the place and calming her busy mind. Zoe positions herself with vast sheets of un-stretched canvas on the beach, working whilst the waves crash around her. Her delight is in wrestling the elements, quickly applying colour and making marks as she soaks in the view across the beach and sea. Zoë usually has three or four paintings with her, which she will work on simultaneously, moving from one to another as the light changes. There is an immediacy to the way in which she works as she constantly strives to match the intensity of what is happening before her eyes onto canvas. Zoë embraces the the challenges of painting ‘en plein air’. She allows the sand to mix with the paint as the wind blows it across the canvas. Often the rain, and sea spray remove marks that she has created, leaving a pitter patter of paint. Occasionally, she submerges paintings into the sea, and allows the waves to shift and scatter the pigment - in essence she collaborates with the sea and the environment in creating her ‘seascape paintings’. Zoë also collects naturally occurring pigments, found on the beaches and cliffs from the locations where she works. She mixes these with other pigments to create location specific colours which she uses in her paintings. Her favourite time to paint is at dusk when the light is so vibrant but also transient. She races the ebbing light, attempting to capture the beauty of it before darkness falls, when she can no longer see the paintings or her materials. Zoë strives to paint the soul of the landscape and endeavours to portray the calming effect of being in the location. She hopes that her paintings calm the viewer and enable them to feel more connected to nature.