‘Sea Rocks is inspired by long coastal walks looking down at the ocean sweeping up over rocks, with the gulls crying up high and the wind filling you with the smell and sound of the sea. My paintings are a personal interpretation of how I see my surrounding landscape, a world of colour and form. Inspiration comes from a variety of sources, a group of trees spotted on the distance horizon, a colour, a simple hut or twisted wire on the beach creating a pattern, also memories or simply a strong connection to a place that resonates. Holding these images in my head I work intuitively from the start, letting the painting develop with spontaneity, building the layers of colour, collage and mark making to create a sense of movement and balance in a painting.
Karen Birchwood
