Why abstract?

I get asked this questions a lot… ‘Why do you like abstract art? I just don’t get it’

Well, the simple answer is, there is nothing to get. In my opinion anyway. The point of abstract art for me, is that it’s expressing something, you cannot express with words, or with an image as such… it’s not about flowers, or mountains, or trees but it’s about how those things make you feel. And I’m not that great with words (although I talk way too much as some might say) and it’s really hard to accurately describe a feeling to somebody but I CAN try to get you to feel it.

So it might be inspired by mountains, the colour, the marks but it’s not a realistic image of the mountains, although I am extremely impressed and even envious of anybody who can draw and paint realistically. I love those artworks as well but if you’d ask me to paint like that, I have a feeling of ‘oh god no’… The joy of painting for me, is to switch my brain off, to make intuitive decisions but it’s not planned, there is no great structure or routine. I come at it from a point of feeling.

Feeling the colours that draw me in, feeling the marks I want to make, feeling what is happening on the canvas and reacting to that.

It is interesting that my ‘other job’, is very analytical, I work in systems, I love strategy and on some days my brain hurts from all the thinking. What do I do to switch off and untangle that mess in my brain? I paint! If I were then try to paint something realistic, where I needed to be switched on, I think it would remove some of the relaxation for me, whilst I know that the technical challenge with painting is where the juice lies for them. Each artist is different and that’s a good thing.

Mountain inspired abstract landscape

My hope is that when you look at my art, you take a moment to pause, to open yourself up and quieten your mind. Don’t try to ‘see’ something in the artwork, allow yourself to feel the colours, the marks and just see if it can make sense to you after all.

And if it doesn’t, it’s no big deal, I know it’s not for everyone but at least I don’t want anybody to be scared of abstract, to feel like they’re somehow not understanding it - IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FEELING