Patrick Lewis: Landscape and Still Life Paintings

'Landscape and Still Life Paintings' is the site where you can see my most recent work. I see painting as being the experience of observing an object or location and recording that experience over a period of time. I always work from observation as it is easier to paint something you are looking at rather than trying to build the image away from the subject later on. Capturing local colours as they appear to me is one of the fascinating aspects of painting. I use the term 'landscape' to cover a range of subjects which include a variety of outdoor scenes.

My Painting Method:

I start a painting by covering the board with a colour such as burnt siena in order to begin with a warm mid tone. Then I use prussian blue with burnt siena or umber to draw in the basic composition sight size and place in the main areas of mid and dark tone. After this the process becomes more of a free for all as I paint in the local colours and tones, working over previous layers until I feel some balance or sense of place has been reached. Sometimes a painting is completed in one session. On other occasions I have to keep returning to the same place over three or four different days. I paint on mdf board primed with acrylic gesso. For the past few years I have been using acrylic paints as they are so practical, particularly when painting outdoors.

Bio:

I was born in Antigua in the Caribbean and was raised in Cornwall, England. I am based in Folkestone in Kent, England, but retain connections with Cornwall. I have a BA (hons) degree in Fine Art from Wirral Metropolitan College and a National Diploma from Plymouth College of Art and Design. I am interested in many types of painting and, being curious about modern painting, have tried my hand at large colour field paintings in the past. However, over the years it has always been the case that I have returned to working from observation.