ARTISTS STATEMENT
I do not pretend this abstract work is primarily inspired by deep emotions or experiences but more the excitement of responding to what’s happening on the canvas and I consciously combine the elements of visual language to hopefully finish up with a complete painting which inevitably does convey some kind of emotion, albeit sub consciously on my part. In some ways I see myself as a textile artist working with paint and indeed one of the strong influencing factors in my work are two beautiful Indian textile wall hangings which have been on display in my home since a recent visit to India. My initial interest in colour began many years ago and as a student I enjoyed and learned a lot from the publication by Johannes Itten called The Art of Colour. Other sources of inspirational work include the paintings by well known artists such as Kandinsky, Patrick Heron, Matisse, Howard Hodgkin and Picasso. Some of the recurring random patterns that keep popping up when I’m working are those I saw on a hot air balloon trip when the aerial perspective turned the ground below into abstract and hardly recognisable compositions. Nature has always been a primary source of inspiration for me.
I make no apologies for having a strong desire to paint bright colourful abstract images which have been described as ‘pleasing to the eye’. I want the viewer to enjoy the combination of shapes, colours, tones and textures in the same way one enjoys the visual qualities of Autumn leaves and my bench mark for a successful painting is that it can initiate in the viewer that same kind of simple pleasure.
John Thompson 2008