I have painted and drawn as a hobby from an early age but didn’t take any formal training until quite late in life when I took a Fine Art degree. I now work from home where I am lucky enough to have my own studio.
The subject matter of my work can be quite diverse but I would say that it is predominantly figurative, and I never tire of painting and sculpting the human face and form. I have carried out several commissioned portraits and offer this service to people who would like to purchase a very special and affordable gift for a loved one, or simply to hand down to the next generation.
I am also interested in images that suggest interacting shapes and movement such as fish, mainly Koi Carp. I am fascinated by the interacting shapes of fish when they are swimming in groups and the ensuing ripples and reflections resulting from directional flow. My intention is to paint quite realistically but then I try and incorporate an abstract thread into the work to give an unexpected quality. I also use several glazes to try and capture the translucency of both the fish and the water.
I draw inspiration from life experiences, the natural world, movement and colour and also the work of many painters and sculptors, from Caravaggio to Lucian Freud, Stanley Spencer, Paula Rego and Anna Maria Pacheco.
I have exhibited with the RBSA over the last few years, in Friends’, Open and Prize exhibition and have had solo exhibitions at Solihull Library and The Guildhall, Henley in Arden. I have also exhibited and sold work in a local High Street Gallery.
Hart, Julie
