About Me
All about Gill and her lifelong enthusiasm for art
An artist journey and inspiration
Let me introduce myself
I am a landscape and figurative artist living in Hampshire. Working in acrylics and mixed media, I create rich visual textures with layers of mark- making and colour. I enjoy capturing the light, the atmosphere and my connection to the subject. Through my painting I aim to express something of the sensory experience of being out in nature and love to pay attention to the sounds and the movements. The work is both an emotional response and an attempt to convey a sense of wonder, intrigue and exploration. This could be standing on the cliffs by the sea or on a regular walk with the dog on the edge of the city where I live, finding glimpses of wildness where nature isn’t tamed. There may be a narrative in the piece, a connection to a memory, or a feeling of nostalgia that engages on an emotional level using colour and exploring textures and shapes.
My process begins playfully, laying down colours and textures on to which the composition develops. Each piece found here in the portfolio evolves as paint is layered, sanded and glazed.
I have taught art for many years and still very much love being involved in encouraging others to explore their creativity. This now happens in workshops and art classes in Hampshire.
My passion for art
How it all came to be…
Surface depth and subtle layering of colour, mark-making and texture are endlessly fascinating to me. This has always been of interest and one which I initially explored using fibres and textile processes gaining a degree in textiles/embroidery. This building up of a surface is what I love the most. Making marks now with paint as the medium, the process of creating a piece commences with a loose and playful approach. The initial idea directs the process but will unfold through several layers and many changes until the final story and composition arrives. Sometimes the piece begins with some words for the title, another time it is in responding to an idea that the painting evolves and takes on a life of its own.
© Emily Wong 2019
