ART COURSES LONDON

My approach to painting was born out of my passion for drawing and the visual arts. I’ve always practiced drawing, but I became interested in painting and especially colour, texture, and surface. Painting is a means of communicating a mental state. For me, the act of painting is made up of gestures that begin a form of somatic communication. I see it as if it were a performance during which there is a search for the expression of psychological and emotional states. My favourite subject is the human figure, and I chose the paintings because they represent my research of shape and gestural expression.

I dabbled in various mediums while at school, and took up oil painting in summer 2019 at Stephen’s urging while on a watercolour refresher day. Given my enjoyment of tactile creative hobbies including knitting and spinning, Stephen suggested that I might enjoy oils and the rest is history. I am inspired by the natural world, intense colours, and sharp contrasts and shapes; my work is varied, covering subjects ranging from still life and portraits to landscapes.

Stephen Nicholas is the ArtC5 exhibition curator and Art Courses London director and teacher.

I have always loved to create but had never had the bravery to commit more of my life to 'making'. However, the UK lockdowns proved to be the perfect springboards to reignite my loves of colour, texture and composition - with Art Courses London providing the joyful initial catalyst. I have gone on to make creativity and art a daily part of my life and was recently selected for Chelsea Art Society's summer showcase.

I entered the art world as an amateur painter in 2019. Having played with different subjects, styles and mediums I found my passion in still lives and portraits. Utilising dramatic contrasts and playing with vibrant colours I focus on conveying feelings and mood in my chosen settings without being too explicit.

I am an artist based in Southeast London. Previously working in the technology and consulting industries, I'm currently taking a degree in fine art. I combine tech with traditional methods of oil painting and printmaking, using virtual reality software and artificial intelligence to create physical work based on the natural world.