I've been exploring the sensory experience of sea swimming in paint for several years now, and joined Paint Fit because I'd started to 'paint myself into a corner' and needed a refresh.
For me it was about taking some focused time to shake up my imagery and mark making, as it had been getting tighter and more literal than I wanted it to be. The challenge for me was to do that while retaining a balance of including slower and more intentional details alongside the livelier, more expressive areas. I also wanted to find out what more the sea wanted to show me; as Emily describes it, asking the subject to show you something new about it - and to try to pare back to something more essential, without lacking substance.
I've included some favourite mark making explorations on paper here from the Paint Fit sessions, plus some experimental pieces on square wood panel exploring the possibilities of more simplified shape and mark making, taken from imagery but not allowing myself to get too descriptive with it. And finally a couple of larger pieces still in progress on wood panel, playing with the sensory, immersive aspect I love so much, while beginning to integrate what I learned with more nuance and subtlety
Links - taraleaverart.com, Instagram
