ABOUT
ELAINE REED, HILL HEAD, HAMPSHIRE
I specialise in watercolours, both painting and teaching others how to but I love other media too, especially chalk pastels and pen and wash.
Formal Training
Foundation year leading to a diploma in Graphic Design and Illustration at Southampton Faculty of Art and Design, then a year studying fine art at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts, Le Havre, France. C & G 730 stages 1 and 2 – Teaching in Adult Education.
Inspiration
Inspiration comes from many things but the natural world is a constant source. It might be the way light is slanting or the patterns in nature re-appearing in different objects and elements. Something as simple as the way the colours in a flower glow next to rough stone is exciting. Contrasts of colour and texture look amazing when painted in watercolour.
I lean towards representational and illustrative work and have always been interested in myths, legends and folklore. One of the first paintings to inspire me was Da Vinci’s cartoon of the Madonna and Child in the National Gallery. Next it was the Pre-Raphaelites especially Edward Burne-Jones, Rosetti and Waterhouse, also the illustrator, Arthur Rackham. As a complete contrast I like comic strips, graphic novels and the animation of the Walt Disney studios.
My favourite living artist is the American, Andrew Wyeth (now in his 90s). He works in egg tempera and watercolour, mainly doing meticulous landscapes and interiors all with this dry, bitter, lonely edge to them. I was very, very lucky to catch the end of a retrospective of his work, “Andrew Wyeth at 90”, at the Farnworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine a few years ago. I also travelled through some the places he worked in during summers spent with his family in Maine such as Cushing and Port Clyde. It was easy to relate this beautiful land to his paintings. What I’ve learned from him is how to see beauty and interest in the most ordinary things, the people and places that surround you all the time and to not be afraid to paint reality because that is what really resonates with other people.
The Sea
My favourite subject is the sea and coast, perhaps not surprising as it is very close by. At first glance the coastline I live on isn’t especially pretty or spectacular but I love it and hope that my ties to and affection for the place come across in the work which features my home. Another aspect of the sea as a subject is the clear water of the Mediterranean. I like painting the way clear water distorts shapes under water, how the colours and tones change as the water deepens and the way light penetrating through clear water makes patterns in intricate and interlocking ribbons. For the last few years I’ve organised painting trips with a group of other artists and students to the Greek islands so that I can do more work on this. Its very serious, we all work very hard and almost don’t notice the hot sun, gorgeous surroundings, lovely food and great company.
Teaching
More inspiration comes from teaching adult education classes. I have taught myself so much as I gradually learned how to teach painting to others. All my students constantly surprise me with their ability and ideas but especially those who have started painting later in life. So many have so much talent and are so willing to practise and experiment, it’s a shame they couldn’t have begun earlier.
I’m never really satisfied with the paintings I produce but I’m learning all the time. I’m very conscious of time racing by and how much I still want to do.
In recent years my work has been exhibited under the auspices of Hampshire Open Studios, Best of Hampshire Artists, the Portsmouth Open Art show and various others. My work can be seen at local galleries too: Fareham Gallery, Hiscock Gallery in Southsea, Hardings in Warsash, Gallery 77 in Lee-on-Solent and Penny Farthing & Between Dreams in Botley.