Scottish artist Hazel Battersby creates paintings that are dynamic and expressive and invite you to look closer and discover exciting layers, marks and flashes of colour. Her work is rooted in landscape, inspired by visiting remote locations within the UK, but remains essentially abstract.
The act of walking, exploring and observing the ever-changing environment is part of the journey and process. exploration of mark-making, drawing and collage, both abstract and descriptive properties develop, and as they extend into paintings this continues to shift and change. I enjoy the initial marks that are made to the conversational layers that respond in stages to develop a painting. Back in the studio, a process of building up the physical layers of paint and media helps to encourage depth of mark-making, colour and shifts in composition. There is a sense of discovery through painting, building up and removing layers and the emergence of an image, that somehow takes command of the painting.
Sketchbooks
sketchbooks document and explore ideas whilst on location. THESE STUDIES EXPLORE the ever changing sky, the light and the intense blue and rich turquoise colours of the sea. All DRAWINGS are pencil, charcoal and soft pastel.