Simon Whitfield

These new paintings are for me both a fresh departure as well as a return to my roots as a
mountain painter. They are inspired by subjects which are for me iconic Lakeland views:
crags, rock studies; the wilderness of the high fell which awaits discovery quietly above the tree line.

These are the things which made me a painter, solid immovable motifs the artist returns to again and again, often rebuffed by the elements, but always to be discovered afresh in a different season or mood.

And there is much to paint and record for the first time. The artist, if also a walker is often a hopeless addict to novelty and exploration, and I was at one time worried that when the last fell was climbed in Cumbria, there would be no more worlds to conquer. Of course this is nonsense – a different time of day or year offers a completely new perspective on a landscape, so even a relatively small wilderness like the Lake District has plenty of secrets left to discover.

These past years have seen me build up a vital 'mental network' of knowledge necessary to being an artist – viewpoints, times of day or season, effects of light or weather, all of which make the lake country endlessly interesting, frustrating and rewarding to the artist. ...