Crucifreedom Print

I believe that colour has a profound effect on the soul. My paintings seek to ignite this effect, employing motifs of spirituality through expression, to suggest...there is more to life than meets the eye. This notion of connecting to the spirit is at the core of my painting. I believe that it is possible not only to connect to the spirit through colour, but, moreover, to heal emotional wounds. Absorbing colour theories, from the 19th century to contemporary painting today, I research nature as the artists' muse, exploring the manifestation of colour in the natural world. Influenced by a breadth of research, from Goethe's Theory of Colours (1810) to Harrod Buhner's Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm (2014), aesthetic and sensory qualities of nature inform my practice, as I express my spirit through abstract expressive painting. Influenced by reading about synesthesia, especially between music and colour, Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee's thoughts, have also fascinated me. Kandinsky states: 'Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with its many chords. The artist is the hand that, by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically.' (Concerning the Spiritual in Art, Kandinsky.W, 1910) Painting is a visceral, energetic experience, both tactile and sensuous. Through the senses a psychic response is created and I am developing my painting to engage the senses of both sight and touch, including texture and tactility. So, inspired by artists like Rebecca Gilpin and Sebastian Merk, I continue to experiment with painterly techniques and colour combination, to explore their emotional effect. Engaging the spiritual power of colour, I use mixed methods and media to create large, dramatic works that attract the viewer through luscious swirls of colour. Combining soak-stained and impasto painting, my process starts with thin, washes of bright colour. Next, I layer translucent veils of paint that create depth and give the piece a spiritual quality, hinting at the presence of other realms. Then, I use modelling paste and fluorescent acrylics, to create the 'icing on the cake' that draws the viewer in through its lusciousness and evocative colour. Inspired by the patterns of nature, I have begun to implement painterly techniques to mimic the intricacy of these details.