78 JUNE 2019 http://www.painters-online.co.uk
Describing herself as a British artist with
a passion for painting en plein air, Nia
says she couldn’t supress her passion for
art any longer. ‘I work mainly in oils, and
enjoy both landscape and portrait
painting. My subject matter is diverse
and I tend not to stick with one specific
theme or subject. I am inspired by many
varied ideas and working methods,
although I pay special attention to
colour, light and human emotion. I have
recently taken the step of working
entirely from life, which brings with it an
interesting set of challenges, such as
continually changing light, or indeed
changing weather if working outdoors,
and requires one to work quickly in order
to capture the subject. I enjoy this style
of painting and the often fluid and
vibrant results that can be achieved
when under such time pressures.
‘I chose to paint these beautiful roses,
(left) as I loved the way they were cast in
shadow by the afternoon sun, which at
the same time lit up the glass vase to
reflect onto the table. Before beginning
the painting I completed a tonal value
sketch of the subject and adjusted the
composition as needed. This piece was
painted on a 50x42cm MDF panel, which
I’d primed with acrylic gesso and a pale
umber coloured ground.
‘I began by blocking in the main
masses, thinning the paint with turps
and a little glaze medium, before picking
out the darker values across the canvas. I
worked quickly to capture the positions
of the shadows, as I knew the sunshine
wouldn’t last for long. I continued to
work on the painting as a whole, trying
to focus on value and shape rather than
simply the objects in front of me. At the
same time, I deliberately attempted to
keep the brush marks fresh and loose.
‘I enjoyed how the colours within the
lemon worked harmoniously with the
pink flowers. I completed the painting by
refining the painting, establishing the
highlights and smaller details.’
For more information about Nia and
her work go to http://www.niamackeown.co.ukB
orn in Pembrokeshire in the 1980s, Nia Mackeown looked set to follow in the
footsteps of her artistic family, with three generations of artists before her. Shegained a place at a London university to study fine art, but had a sudden change in
direction and ended up studying midwifery. For six years she worked as a midwife,
drawing and painting in her spare time, before deciding to focus solely on her
artwork just 18 months ago. Here she shares with us her passion for painting.
If you would like to see more of Nia’s work, post a comment or upload your own
images to our free online gallery, visit http://www.painters-online.co.uk
Online gallery
WWW.PAINTERS-ONLINE.CO.UKJane Stroud’sselection of works from our PaintersOnline galleryNia MackeownPink and Lemon, oil on panel, 19^3 ⁄ 4 x 161 ⁄ 2 in. (50x42cm)
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