FIONA GASKELL
The stimulus for my still life paintings comes from colour. I might see some flowers or a pot that catches my eye and sets me thinking about colour combinations. I then set up a still life and experiment with colours. My inspiration comes from the work of Matisse and the artists who followed in his footsteps. I admire the still life work of the Scottish colourist Samuel Peploe as well as Mary Fedden, and I enjoy the exuberant paintings of Philip Sutton, who regularly exhibits at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition.
I started oil painting in classes led by the artist Linda Smith. I hadn’t drawn or painted for many years despite having enjoyed occasional classes after work before I had children. Now my children are grown up and I no longer work although I volunteer locally which takes up quite a bit of time. So I need to discipline myself to make enough time to paint and to develop my painting. In the future I would like to push the boundaries and move beyond still life perhaps to landscape and abstract work.
I started oil painting in classes led by the artist Linda Smith. I hadn’t drawn or painted for many years despite having enjoyed occasional classes after work before I had children. Now my children are grown up and I no longer work although I volunteer locally which takes up quite a bit of time. So I need to discipline myself to make enough time to paint and to develop my painting. In the future I would like to push the boundaries and move beyond still life perhaps to landscape and abstract work.
