Ian Burgess - Artist of the Month
“A main part of my vision is focusing on imaginary abstract or semi abstract landscapes"
Originally from the UK, then migrating to Australia in 2009, I feel very lucky to live by the beautiful Lake Macquarie after a recent move from Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Living in Australia inspires a new direction in my work even if I don’t directly portray a particular place on the canvas it is my desire to express the ‘equivalent feeling’ of this patch of earth. Joining the Society of Artists about a year ago has been interesting and fulfilling, seeing all the different styles and meeting lovely people.
I’m happily self taught as this gives me total freedom of expression to paint the way I want without inheriting another artists style.
I have a few artists who inspire me such as Jeffery Smart, Edward Hopper, Wolf Kahn and my favourite abstract artist is the American Brian Rutenberg.
I have always been interested in art for as long as I can remember and I first became interested in fine art photography, purely monochrome as I loved the different shades of grey with the strong light to dark shadows, beautiful chiaroscuro. The strange thing is when I moved to painting, about 5 years ago, I demand lots of colour and I usually struggle with toning down my bright palette!
My work is usually acrylic and oil pastels on canvas with big brushes and palette knives, although the paintings tend to be very colourful I am mainly interested in colour and value relationships and how they work together with me adding lots of layers and textures as I like people to touch my paintings to feel their tactility!
A main part of my vision is focusing on imaginary abstract or semi abstract landscapes as I don’t work from photographs or paint plein-air. The aim is to convey an ethereal mood of luminosity and wanting to be in the landscape, to feel it seeping through the soles of my shoes and enjoy a place to wander and wonder. Implicit is my dialogue with what is shown and that which is partially hidden.
My work now is entirely abstract/non representational, wanting the permission to realise and reveal more underlying layers of colour and fluidly of shapes without the specific design principles of realism. My series ‘Deconstructed’ explores the landscape very much intuitively where I let it flow mentally and physically with some strong shapes and lines. I want to continue engaging in this way with my work as it gives me energy and makes me feel alive.
I advertise my work with 3 online galleries and have been lucky enough to have sold 18 paintings in the last 12 months which pleases me when people just ‘connect’ with my art.
In December I have my very first solo exhibition at SMAC Studios and gallery in Newcastle.
This will give me a chance to showcase about 20-25 paintings in a great setting and if you come to the opening evening on December 9th there will be food, drinks, music and art….what else is there?
I’m happily self taught as this gives me total freedom of expression to paint the way I want without inheriting another artists style.
I have a few artists who inspire me such as Jeffery Smart, Edward Hopper, Wolf Kahn and my favourite abstract artist is the American Brian Rutenberg.
I have always been interested in art for as long as I can remember and I first became interested in fine art photography, purely monochrome as I loved the different shades of grey with the strong light to dark shadows, beautiful chiaroscuro. The strange thing is when I moved to painting, about 5 years ago, I demand lots of colour and I usually struggle with toning down my bright palette!
My work is usually acrylic and oil pastels on canvas with big brushes and palette knives, although the paintings tend to be very colourful I am mainly interested in colour and value relationships and how they work together with me adding lots of layers and textures as I like people to touch my paintings to feel their tactility!
A main part of my vision is focusing on imaginary abstract or semi abstract landscapes as I don’t work from photographs or paint plein-air. The aim is to convey an ethereal mood of luminosity and wanting to be in the landscape, to feel it seeping through the soles of my shoes and enjoy a place to wander and wonder. Implicit is my dialogue with what is shown and that which is partially hidden.
My work now is entirely abstract/non representational, wanting the permission to realise and reveal more underlying layers of colour and fluidly of shapes without the specific design principles of realism. My series ‘Deconstructed’ explores the landscape very much intuitively where I let it flow mentally and physically with some strong shapes and lines. I want to continue engaging in this way with my work as it gives me energy and makes me feel alive.
I advertise my work with 3 online galleries and have been lucky enough to have sold 18 paintings in the last 12 months which pleases me when people just ‘connect’ with my art.
In December I have my very first solo exhibition at SMAC Studios and gallery in Newcastle.
This will give me a chance to showcase about 20-25 paintings in a great setting and if you come to the opening evening on December 9th there will be food, drinks, music and art….what else is there?
Click on images to enlarge