Lynne Woods exhibiting at Chichester’s Oxmarket Gallery

Liberation: An Exploration of Colour & Texture offers an exhibition from Lynne Woods at Chichester’s Oxmarket Gallery from October 19-31.
Lynne WoodsLynne Woods
Lynne Woods

Lynne said: “I am an intuitive artist taking my inspiration from nature.

“This body of work began in 2020 during the Covid lockdown. Before this, I had produced drawings – large drawings – mainly using pencil and charcoal, very detailed and representational although with a surrealist twist.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I held my debut solo exhibition The Voice Within at The Lansdown Gallery in Stroud, Gloucestershire in March 2018. Unfortunately just after this, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The treatment of cancer is all consuming and I lost all my creativity juices until the treatment finished when thankfully they all returned.

Cancer is life-changing. It does, however, have its positive side. I am a much stronger person as a result, far more confident and I now do things that are important to me. It has also changed my artwork. It made me rethink how I wanted to work. The first major change was wanting to use colour and use a different medium so I began to experiment with acrylic-based media. I felt a need to be more expressive and not so literal and simply let the paint and the tools – it’s not all about brushes – do the work which leads to a more abstract element.

“As I work intuitively, I don’t necessarily have a plan when I go to my studio. At the moment, I usually begin by choosing a limited palette, maybe just two or three colours plus black and white and see where it goes.

“Sometimes I add some collage much of which I create myself. It just adds another dimension. Layers are important for depth whether it be paint or paper. The resulting work is very diverse ranging from recognisable land/seascapes to more abstract/expressive work.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The basis of all the paintings comes from nature. I live in the Cotswolds which is full of inspiration and I often go out and explore with my camera and more recently a sketchbook. I love the colours of beautiful flowers and stunning sunsets but I also love the moody, threatening skies and woodlands. Although I have always had an interest in art I did not really explore my own creative abilities until my daughters were beginning to leave home. I had been a full-time mum and housewife and to be honest felt I had lost my identity a little so I decided to do something for myself.

“In 2012 I joined a local drawing class with Paul Fowler at Pegasus Arts near Stroud, Gloucestershire and found I had a natural talent for drawing and, more importantly, composition. But it was during the recent lockdowns of the Covid pandemic that my painting skills really took off.

“Because everything closed, the emergence of art classes online became common. I did Art of the Sketchbook. This gave me a good basis to work from exploring different materials and mark-making. I then found a week taster course, Find Your Joy, and this was a real game changer.

“This is just the beginning. I am constantly learning, experimenting, challenging and I really do not have clue where it is going to end up. Recently I have been studying artists whose work I admire and found that the common theme was the coast. The Cotswolds are beautiful but there is something very compelling about the coast. The sound of the waves as they reach land, the clanging of ropes against the masts on yachts, the smell and energy you get from being beside the sea. One of my goals in the coming year is to explore more of this wonderful country of ours, especially the coastal areas which will inspire more paintings. My studio space is on the top floor of my house with splendid views over the Golden Valley and I spend a lot of time in there. It’s been very exciting and evolves every day.”

Related topics: