Cathy Parker

I am a self-taught artist. My paintings spring from my lifelong enjoyment of the natural world. My main subject is the landscape, especially trees, and I also enjoy still life.

I work in various media, including oils, acrylics, watercolours, ink and mixed media. I like to paint in a semi-abstract style with elements of both naturalism and abstraction, if possible combining careful observation of a subject with attention to composition and colour. I like experimenting with different techniques, which leads my work in new directions.

I have two main ways of working: outdoors in front of the subject, in direct response to the landscape, light, colour and weather; and in the studio, usually working from a combination of sketchbooks and memories. I have shelves of sketchbooks, but I also take large sheets of heavy paper and smaller boards outdoors, to start a painting ‘en plein air’. In the studio, I may continue working on a piece for days or weeks, adding layers, for example by using paint or collage, or removing sections by scraping and rubbing, adding line to areas of colour, or colour to areas of drawn or scribbled line.

Website: www.cathyparker.co.uk