The Artist - UK (2020-03)

http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistMarch 2020 57

PRACTICAL

sense of scale, movement, and action.
A human shape near a car or building
offers visual cues and comparisons that
offer scale and perspective. A figure
that is walking, running, or riding a
bicycle creates movement and energy.
Often, I dress my figures in colourful
clothes, which provides an interesting
pop of colour that brings the scene
together.
Because my painting style is loose and
free, inorganic forms such as buildings,
cars, and boats are somewhat easier
than other types of shapes. Inorganic
forms are more static and offer distinct
angles and lines. Organic shapes, such
as humans, dogs, cats, horses, birds,
and other living creatures present more
difficulty, due to their fluid qualities.
One way that I develop and sharpen
my skills is consistent plein-air practice.
I regularly spend time in public places,
with my sketchbook, focusing on the
shapes before me. The challenge
with this is not to get caught up in the
chatter and clutter of the scene and to
focus on the actual shapes. I approach
it a lot like those exercises in art school
where plaster rectangles, spheres and
cubes are placed on a table in the
centre of the room for drawing practice.
I have to disassociate from the people
in order to capture the shape that
represents the human form. At the
same time, however, in order to capture
movement and emotion, I must remain
loosely attached so the forms aren’t
static. In many ways I have to act as
an ethnographer by detaching myself
from the scene and simply taking in
information while acknowledging that
my presence and engagement can’t be
fully removed.
When working en plein air I am
surrounded by the actual stories as they
present themselves, while at the same

 Missed Yo u at the Station, watercolour,
9 13in (2333cm)

 Happy Hour at the Dog Park, watercolour, 1014in (25.535.5cm)

 Here is an example of a sketchbook practice page painted en plein air. Notice how I’ve captured

the organic gure shapes along with the inorganic building shapes, 1016in (25.540.5cm)

‘By adding gures to a

painting – in the form

of humans or animals

• I provide a sense of

scale, movement, and

action’