‘Postcards to Knowhere’ was the title of my very first exhibition. It was created for my final show at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (Now known simply as Newcastle University). I drew inspiration from travelling, in particular the atmosphere and suburban landscapes of New England.
Painting Postcards to Knowhere
I’d always wanted to pursue painting. Although at first I wasn’t sure what my subject matter might be.
During the fours years studying for my BA Fine Art I was able to travel. I used the proceeds from a part-time job to by plane tickets as well as art materials. This allowed me to travel to a few key places in Europe and the USA. These trips became an important part of my life and it was suggested to me that I should start to draw on those real life experiences.
So I collected photographs and sketches from New England. Picking out landmarks and locations that stood out in my memory of the place. Quite a few of these were of the Boston area where I was staying at the time. I found that there was an interesting contrast between the photos I assembled and the memories that I would comb through afterwards. Quite often I would misremember, with detail and colour choice often reflecting my feeling on the atmosphere of each subject. Somehow I found myself fascinated by the New England drama that Edward Hopper had illustrated all those years ago. In my experiences the same atmosphere is present in this more modern New England.
BA Fine Art – The Final Show
Here are some photographs from the resulting exhibition in Newcastle. The tutors were obviously very kind in the space they allocated me. As the area was flooded with natural light from the windows. I particularly liked the view of the trees across the road. T that worked really nicely with the painted landscapes. I also remember very constructive conversations with tutors who advised me less is always more. Originally I think I had about a dozen canvases lined up to fill the space! But the convinced me to reduce that down to just five strong pieces.
