Large Contemporary Semi Abstract Landscape Paintings
I am an independent artist based in Sussex and my painting style has evolved, like most persistent artists’ styles eventually do, to be quite unique. The style does not really fit a particular category but could be called semi-abstract, contemporary or ‘messy art nouveau’ (as one of my buyers once described it). The inspiration for each painting occurs as I am walking in countryside – as rural as possible – and preferably with ancient history abounding in the form of old churches, barrows, stories and other reminders of the ancestors who were there before. Woodland, seas, rivers, lakes, meadows and nature in abundance make me ecstatically happy. I use an ordinance survey phone app, which changed my life once I’d eventually learnt how to use it, as it enables me to go anywhere and be able to choose my own routes without getting lost (I once got lost in an acre of woodland for two hours – I have a gift). Then when I am back in the studio, I paint my impressions from memory of the ‘echo’ I got from a specific place. This is an interesting process as I never really know what I am going to paint until I start. I will then find hazy imprints on my memory being revealed on the canvas. Sometimes it is a few precise colours or vague shapes or energies but always emerges as a reflection of the things I felt or saw. Usually, I will add some deer or birds that balance the semi-abstract landscapes with something a little bit realistic. As I live in Sussex, I mostly seek out the quiet fields and ancient villages on and around the South Downs but will also paint landscapes from things I see on various holidays – Caribbean seas being the ones that most made an impression on me when I went there a few years ago. The paintings included here are among my favourites of the last few years as they immediately take me to the places they reflect and make me happy all over again… Gill Bustamante www.gillbustamante.com
Bluebell wood watercolour painting ideas
