BIO

The main focus of my art is to create feelings of tranquillity, contentment, freedom and happiness.  Creating artwork that transports the viewer to a tranquil and relaxing memory, of peaceful times spent by the sea, is my aim.

The sea, with all its glory has so many benefits for our mental wellbeing.  It is both relaxing and invigorating depending on the atmosphere of the day.  It empowers the viewer with contentment and brings peace and harmony to your world.

My work is created using mixed media.  The acrylic paint I use is so versatile and the filler I add expresses the waves of the ocean perfectly, giving a 3D appearance.  Tiny parts of the West Cumbrian coast are often added in the form of shale or sand.  This brings texture and authenticity to my work..

Each finished piece shows a beautiful, relaxing moment captured in time of memories that can be enjoyed in your home every single day.

 Where it all Began

I have lived in West Cumbria all my life and spent a lot of time on the beach with my family during my younger years as a child.  I learned to appreciate the beauty of the sea and I find the drama of the ever-changing weather system and the effect it has on the waves mesmerising.  This is where I get my inspiration.   

Art has always been one of my favourite pass times.  The primary school I attended held nigh classes studying art and as a family, we all attended.  This was probably my first taste of painting with ‘proper’ paint and I loved it.

It all stopped when I left secondary school as the world of work took over and my young adult life began.  I married and had two beautiful sons who I am so proud of. 

My mam enrolled the boys on a Saturday morning art class when they were around 7 and 9 years old and the art teacher persuaded me to join in and it all started from there, I was hooked.  I hadn’t realised how much I missed being creative.  We attended every week for some time as my boys have the same flair for art as I do.  It was a fantastic opportunity to spend quality time with them.

I painted with watercolours back then but I didn’t like the wishy-washy results and so I added the minimal amount of water so that I could create rich vibrant colours.  My main subject at that time was flowers.     

I pursued my thirst for learning more about art techniques as I felt I had missed out on my learning, studying art at CSE and 16+ level in secondary school.  In my early forties, I studied art at GCSE level and then completed an A level.  I carried on to do my HND qualification in Fine Art.  Following on from there, I enrolled on an online art course learning about the principles of art such as colour, size, texture, contrasts etc.    

During my studies, I experimented using acrylics and enjoy working with the versatility of the paint and the rich vibrant colours. The paints can be thickened or watered down depending on the effect you want to create on your canvas or board.

Art is a huge part of my life.  It is where I find contentment, peace and harmony and that is priceless in my book and I am so grateful.   I now feel that I want to share my work with the world.

Thank you for reading

Love Gill X