FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH – CHRIS WILMSHURST

Chris Wilmshurst is based in Wimborne, Dorset. She works in a variety of media and is inspired by landscapes and townscapes in Dorset.

“Path Through the Allotments”

“Can you tell us more about your work ‘Path Through the Allotments’, how does this painting reflect your interests?“

I am a very keen gardener and love plants. Allotments hold a special charm for me because of the wealth of colours, patterns and textures we can see, and I especially love the juxtaposition of plants with man-made sheds, greenhouses and fences etc.  Since last summer I have had an allotment and I find time spent there to be a great balm to the soul.

“Orchard at Dean’s Court”

“In ‘Orchard at Dean’s Court’ you use collage and acrylic on canvas.  Can you tell us more about the use of collage in your practice and your technique of layering- combining collage and acrylic?“

I started using collage a few years ago when I became more interested in patterns and textures, and I began collecting papers of all descriptions.  I like to use them both as a base on which to add paint, but also to give me extra detail as I build up the layers.

“Durdle Door”

“In ‘Durdle Door’ you use circular collage elements of differing sizes and colours to depict the waves.  Can you tell us more about the development of this specific technique?“

I came across the idea of using the little circles created by a hole punch some time ago and started using them to create all sorts of effects, either randomly or put together to form seed heads, for example.  To create the waves I decided that I needed circles of different sizes and hit on the idea of buying self-adhesive labels from a stationary shop and painting them the various colours I wanted before sticking them down.  It took quite a while!