Brightlingsea Groyne by Lorna Kirin

My recent paintings explore the gripping beauty of our stunning shores, in particular the East Anglian coastline. I am also inspired by our landscape here in Britain and love to capture the fantastic array of hues and textures found hidden in the hills and valleys edged by fields, tracks and trees. I love to think of pigments and marks to best describe what I see, sketching en plein air where possible and then exploring these back in the studio.

I’m drawn to the wonderfully organic forms and textures that nature provides, juxtaposed with human intervention and colour too has always been central to my work. My work focuses on these contrasts, pushing pigments and marks to evoke a sense of emotion and to make the subject resonate. I love the thrill of applying paint to canvas, with bold washes and thick textured brush marks working with immediacy and excitement, seeking to capture that first glimpse of a stunning view or the rhythmic power of the tide lapping at the shore. I aim to impart that feeling of awe to the viewer. I like to think my paintings are fearless. I take risks with them at all stages of their development, in order to seek that balance between complete freedom and skilled control.

I have also rediscovered printmaking over the last few years, working on linocuts and monoprints in particular. I always spent time in the printroom at college and am hoping to develop my practice when I can source a decent press… then I plan to rekindle my love of etching and collagraphs.