Richard White

 

“My work falls into two series, seascapes and foliage. Light, colour and timelessness relates to them both. Through the structure of the entirely different subjects the paintings feel and look very different but are united in their observation and replication of the above natural elements.

With the seascapes, the first series, I was mainly interested in the subtleties of colour made by the light and how it moves across the water and out towards the horizon. Whether the paintings were close up detailed images of the moving sea or panoramic views straight out I tried always to in-still a sense of calmness in the viewer. The paint work was executed with great care to ensure the rhythm of the sea was smooth and captivating, allowing a space for the mind to relax in and contemplate.

The foliage series of paintings due to their nature were more concerned with structure and shapes. I was still interested in light but the way it fell through the leaves and the variety and complexity of shapes that were made. I found my paintings became very obsessive in their drawing and every shape was painted with all its subtleties. Colour became of ever increasing importance to distinguish the depth, light and shade and the hot and cold areas. The slightly extreme colours I used in some paintings give them a slightly surreal feel. Others simply became more about shape and hard lines, the direct effect of the sun. The effects I intended on the viewer was to feel either slightly blinded by the sun or to become captivated by detail and drawn in to the foliage as if in a dream”.