Lesley Jones

The wide open landscapes of Britain in all weathers provide the inspiration for my landscape paintings. I love to study clouds whose wonderfully transient forms influence the light, shade and colour of the land and sea below. The sky is therefore my starting point for each painting as it determines the atmosphere for the whole piece. I allow the image to develop intuitively as I work, discarding representational accuracy to concentrate on the spirit of the place and create a sense of quiet solitude.

When out exploring I collect small objects; stones, shells, seed heads, anything with fascinating form, colour or texture, from which I make charcoal or pencil studies, gradually abstracting their form and playing with light shade and colour. I use these studies to create subtle abstract paintings with an illusion of 3-D in oil or open acrylic on canvas.

Having taught mixed media classes in Adult Education and private classes in Surrey, I still to find it stimulating to experiment with a variety of materials, inks, plaster, textiles, papers, string, cardboard etc. Many of these works remain in the studio cupboard but some have developed into finished artworks for exhibition.

I graduated from Central Saint Martins in London in 1996. Since then I have had solo exhibitions in Surrey, Suffolk and Kent, and have taken part in Group Exhibitions and Art Fairs. My paintings have been selected for several Open Exhibitions: the Hunting Art Prize, National Open Art Competition, Discerning Eye, RWA Open, Cork Street Open, Thelma Hulbert Open, Wells Art Contemporary and South West Academy Open.

Website: www.ljart.co.uk