In October we took a short trip to Vilnius, Lithuania and it turned out to be the perfect place for a relaxing, inspiring few days. Full of history and beautiful buildings, walkable, and if like me, you don’t like crowds, it’s spacious and calm with plenty of places to sit and watch the world go by.
As always, my paintings start with a memory of place but they could be anywhere, where people sit and,watch the world go by, ponder life, the universe and everything in between over a coffee.
Pink! I do love pink, in all its shades and nuances. Pink is rich, deep, multi-faceted. It can make your mouth water. You can stand in front of pink and bathe in its energy.
This painting is based on memories of a visit to Lyme Regis. The Cobb was buzzing with activity, boats in and out, people strolling, enjoying a perfect summer’s day. Giant seagulls. What I also remember is how quiet it was, perhaps dampened by the hills, and the shape of the harbour.
Mixed media on canvas. 90cm x 90cm
Of all the styles I’ve dabbled in over the last few years, I always, always come back to this. It’s where I feel most ‘me’ and is a truly happy, free place. Yes, I love architecture and drawing and florals and watercolours and filling sketchbooks and painting en plein air but this right here is where it feels like home. Big. Bold. Brash. I start these pieces with a memory and a feeling and see where it goes.
Much as we like to think we ‘improve’ as artists, and we strive to learn and develop … as we absolutely should, I might add, what comes naturally will always come out and we should embrace that. For a long time, as I delved into different styles, learnt and embraced techniques, I tried to move away from this style. I was actually a little ashamed of its perceived naivety. Also the fact that it came easily, meant I didn’t feel its worth and thought for something to be good, it had to be hard work. Well I am a stupid person and old enough to know better because this mindset is wrong. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. Yes, develop your skills. Try new techniques. Read, look, experiment, take classes, courses, do ALL of it. It will all be nourishing and ultimately useful. But then listen carefully to your own voice and use it in all its unique glory.
Below are older paintings stretching back to 2013.
Throughout this summer I’ve been working on a series of floral pieces, all on paper. This batch is called Deep Summer and my aim is to continue with an autumn batch, then winter and … you get the picture.
All of these pieces are on half sheet watercolour paper (22” x 15”) using inks, pastels, acrylics and pencils. There’s even some glitter 😁
Lane Mathias 