My Biography is fairly self explanatory in the short summation most galleries and exhibitions require, however further description about my aims, ideas and techniques to create my paintings are further explained below:
MY AIMS
With most people having access to a camera or more likely a smart phone, it is very easy to capture a moment to look back on. As pleasant and precious as these photographs can be, I am trying to go further by evoking thoughts and memories of the sights, sounds and elements of a landscape, to take you back to that moment when you were there.
MY IDEAS
I usually have an idea for a painting way before I actually start it. It may come from having looked at a photograph or from actually being in the landscape. I am not interested in copying the photograph or the landscape but instead expressing how it made me feel. This may be how the tide had shaped the sand or how the light hit a stretch of water. All my work relies on the relationship between texture, light and usually water, whether as a larger landscape or a small detail within a landscape. My use of colour is also important to me where some are exaggerated and saturated and others almost becoming monochrome grey or black to express the mood I feel for the moment of time I'm trying to capture. At the end of the day it all comes from my memories and imagination, somewhere between reality, interpretation and abstract, which hopefully helps make my work original.
MY TECHNIQUE
I always start by creating a textured base which more often than not has many layers resulting in a monochrome sculptural 'painting' before any colour is introduced. I spend a lot of time on this first part of the process because a poor base will result in a poor painting. The texture comprises of different layers of acrylic pastes which dry to various shades of white and which have unique properties, the acrylic pigments reacting to each one of them differently. This results in a soft water colour vibe as a starting point. However, I often cover the entire textured surface with black gesso which gives a completely different darker energy. Painting from black may seem counter intuitive but it does give a deep richness to the overall feel. If black is employed metallic, interference or white has to be washed, scumbled or rollered over to form the highlights, leaving dramatic shadow lines before starting any colour work. I sometimes paint from a hybrid of part black and part white base, giving a further variation to my style. Whatever the base all colour pigments used are transparent, so that the first layer can be seen through to the last layer, adding depth and luminosity. All colour mixing is therefore done on canvas by layering. Once completed I pour acrylic gels to represent water elements and sometimes sky elements too [ the water and sky both become fluid in my mind especially with coastal representations ] These can be poured neat or tinted. Adjustments are then made with further acrylic pigments. Once this is complete, layers of Resin are added to the water areas for a super glossy appearance. Again these can be clear or tinted, poured or splashed. This is a very quick simplistic overview of my process, where all of the layers can be adjusted and tweaked, back and forth, during the process of the painting. Each painting can take between 3 to 4 weeks to complete as each layer has to dry before the next is applied.
MATERIALS
I work on Jackson's Deep Box Canvases and use Golden Acrylics - Pastes, Gels, Paints | Total Cast Resin for texture | Craft Resin Crystal Clear for water or ice elements | Vida Rosa UV Resin for final detailing.
If you have any further questions feel free to get in touch.
MY AIMS
With most people having access to a camera or more likely a smart phone, it is very easy to capture a moment to look back on. As pleasant and precious as these photographs can be, I am trying to go further by evoking thoughts and memories of the sights, sounds and elements of a landscape, to take you back to that moment when you were there.
MY IDEAS
I usually have an idea for a painting way before I actually start it. It may come from having looked at a photograph or from actually being in the landscape. I am not interested in copying the photograph or the landscape but instead expressing how it made me feel. This may be how the tide had shaped the sand or how the light hit a stretch of water. All my work relies on the relationship between texture, light and usually water, whether as a larger landscape or a small detail within a landscape. My use of colour is also important to me where some are exaggerated and saturated and others almost becoming monochrome grey or black to express the mood I feel for the moment of time I'm trying to capture. At the end of the day it all comes from my memories and imagination, somewhere between reality, interpretation and abstract, which hopefully helps make my work original.
MY TECHNIQUE
I always start by creating a textured base which more often than not has many layers resulting in a monochrome sculptural 'painting' before any colour is introduced. I spend a lot of time on this first part of the process because a poor base will result in a poor painting. The texture comprises of different layers of acrylic pastes which dry to various shades of white and which have unique properties, the acrylic pigments reacting to each one of them differently. This results in a soft water colour vibe as a starting point. However, I often cover the entire textured surface with black gesso which gives a completely different darker energy. Painting from black may seem counter intuitive but it does give a deep richness to the overall feel. If black is employed metallic, interference or white has to be washed, scumbled or rollered over to form the highlights, leaving dramatic shadow lines before starting any colour work. I sometimes paint from a hybrid of part black and part white base, giving a further variation to my style. Whatever the base all colour pigments used are transparent, so that the first layer can be seen through to the last layer, adding depth and luminosity. All colour mixing is therefore done on canvas by layering. Once completed I pour acrylic gels to represent water elements and sometimes sky elements too [ the water and sky both become fluid in my mind especially with coastal representations ] These can be poured neat or tinted. Adjustments are then made with further acrylic pigments. Once this is complete, layers of Resin are added to the water areas for a super glossy appearance. Again these can be clear or tinted, poured or splashed. This is a very quick simplistic overview of my process, where all of the layers can be adjusted and tweaked, back and forth, during the process of the painting. Each painting can take between 3 to 4 weeks to complete as each layer has to dry before the next is applied.
MATERIALS
I work on Jackson's Deep Box Canvases and use Golden Acrylics - Pastes, Gels, Paints | Total Cast Resin for texture | Craft Resin Crystal Clear for water or ice elements | Vida Rosa UV Resin for final detailing.
If you have any further questions feel free to get in touch.
EMAIL info@turton-artist.com
INSTAGRAM @illusion_of_being_there
