Finding Space to Let Go
I have drawn and painted all my life. I was brought up on a hilly sheep farm in the Peak District and this began my connection to the land which gave me solace and inspiration.
During my Art degree I started being interested in the landscape’s ability to create different atmospheres – open moors, protective boulders, dark caves and looking through trees to the light – then tried to convey these different atmospheres in my work.
I have always enjoyed spending time in the landscape and responding to it by making studies but I often found the landscape overwhelming until I began to focus on specific areas. When spending longer studying in one place I am able to concentrate on absorbing the different characteristics through my senses which helps me connect and respond to that particular place.
At the moment my subject is a Northumberland beach which I have visited every year since my eldest son was born in 1998. And my subject title for these particular studies, which I did in May 2021, is Finding Space to Let Go. A while ago I was thinking about my inspirations and desires and realised this is a place I always find space to let go. A place high up in the sandy dunes with the wind blowing through the long grasses, glimpses of the dark sea, and constant sounds of insects and birds fills me up with nature that I love.
This is the start of a series and is still in progress. I have a joint show November 14-26 2022 in Sheffield at Snig Hill Gallery.
Contact email:
Instagram: nicolawatsonart
