Since early childhood, painting, drawing, and responding to what I see has always been a method of exploration and thinking for me. Paul Klee (Swiss-German painter 1879–1940) said that ‘Drawing is thinking with your eyes.’
Drawing is thinking with your eyes.
Paul Klee, Swiss/German Painter 1879–1940
Deciding to study Fine Art, Visual Arts and Art & Psychotherapy gave me further and fuller opportunities. These included being able to explore, experience and experiment with visual communications of all kinds.
After then training as a teacher in 1991, my subsequent wide-ranging educational work included Primary to Degree level teaching and training. (See Education and Workshops for further information).
Making sense of the world in a visual way is an all-encompassing experience, opening new avenues and paths to problem-solving, processing information and understanding.
There is a form of human intelligence that is purely visual.
Bernard Cohen, Slade Professor, University College London
For example, the caves at Lascaux show drawings on the walls done by hunters prior to or after hunting prey. It was clearly not done just to decorate the caves(!) but to serve some personal belief or meaning for the hunters. The use of artistic endeavour and activity can and does serve the same purpose today; words are only one of many forms of communication.
For me, painting, drawing and experimenting with different media is a source of fulfilment, learning, and a way of processing both information and my own reactions to it – and often, in order to share it with others. I use several media – oil and watercolour, acrylics, mixed media and other two-dimensional materials. I also experiment with ‘found’ objects – wire, textiles, and various tactile items.
Some things hold particular meanings for me – horses, landsacpe-work and domestic objects. However, I find that I am beginning to follow wider, more abstract paths and places.
Although two-dimensional work (e.g. painting and drawing) have been my priority and speciality in general, I am also a trained printmaker, love experimenting with photography and its possibilities, and am extending what I do into different materials and approaches.
However
I am absolutely passionate about sharing the opportunities for everyone to be visually and personally creative, to play What If with both materials and ideas. I am a firm believer in blending both the left-hand, analytical side of the brain, with the right-hand, instinctive highly creative “other half”.
Cumbria is where we are based (“we” being myself and two children, three horses, two dogs, and two cats), and I am currently learning to play the saxophone and rediscover singing! I also with with horses (see Equine-Awareness).
I hope you enjoy looking at the site – please don’t hestitate to contact me for any queries or further information.
If you know what you’re going to paint before you start, don’t bother!
Lucien Freud, Painter