PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE- KIM SOMERVILLE
1. How would you describe your style?
Since joining the two year Paintbox group, I would describe my style as much more unrestrained and much more responsive.
2. What are your influences?
I like to take a subject and keep it simple then play around with colour, lines shape and tones. Sometimes my work ends up representative of my subject and other times it is a derivative that works as an abstract piece.
3. Which Artist do you most admire?
I mostly admire artists like Joan Eardley, Morandi, Giacometti, Diebenkorn, Barbara Rae and more recently, Chris Gwaltney, Michael G Clark and Francis Boag and but also many others that I search on the web.
4. Where is your favourite or most inspiring place in Scotland?
Scotland is very inspirational and projects all moods. I was once told that your subject is no further than the end of your arm. This I believe is an indication of not having to look too far. I live in Perthshire and love the colour changes throughout the year. I also love the lochs and the coastlines and I am thankful that we have no great distances to find these subjects.
5. Tell us a bit about your current work?
Currently, I see myself working even more towards expressive and imaginative work.
6. How has the Becoming an Artist Course helped you so far?
Becoming an artist and being amongst other wonderful and creative artists, who have become my good friends, has given me confidence and reassurance that I want to paint and be creative.
7. What do you hope to achieve in the next year?
This year I want to keep pushing the boundaries and be bold and expressive, and portray mood and feeling within my work. Ultimately, to be more confident and less afraid, and just be the painter I am craving to be.
8. Tell us a bit about the making of your work - what medium do you use, surfaces do you work on, how do you begin etc?
Surface building has become crucial to how I work. I usually begin with creating a surface with colour then applying collage to get rid of the blank surface. I then refer to my drawings (that are usually quite real at this stage). I constantly need to keep myself distracted from true form and reality, to create a painting that excites me. The built up surface gives me direction and ideas. I spend a lot of time looking and describing, then simplifying. I like to leave a painting to rest and then I can refresh too. Taking photos and analysing them away from my painting is useful to me also. Knowing when to stop is key!
