BECKY PASCOE : FEATURED ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Becky Pascoe is based in Somerset. She creates semi abstract paintings distinctive for their strong linear nature and high colour.

“Fish Frenzy“

How would you describe your work and what have been the most important influences on your practice? 

I describe my work as semi-abstract still life/interiors mainly, although I do enjoy waterfront scenes. My work has a linear quality, the use of strong lines to define shapes. The paintings have a partly ‘flat’ quality alongside an illusion of space and depth. I have always felt that all things are connected in some way. I sense a surface tension between objects, almost a gravitational pull between them.

I have been hugely influenced by my late, great father, Ernest Pascoe. He has done heads of some very famous people, as well as a large amount of ecclesiastical restorations in Bristol mainly. 
Meeting artists was a regular occurrence and one of the most influential was the late Cornish painter Patrick Heron. We used to write to each other about our work . He loved my work and had a painting of mine in his studio at Eagles Nest, Zenor, St Ives, where he lived for many years.

“Silver Pink”

Using your painting ‘Silver Pink’ as an example can you tell us more about how you created this work from concept to finished piece?  Were there any specific challenges? 

Silver Pink is a small work, which I found challenging as I prefer to work on a larger scale. The subject matter, a common theme of still life, which I started from about three years of age. My love for still life/interiors has continued to develop since that time. The biggest problem with such small work is keeping the scale of the objects right, in relation to one another. I love to use ‘high colour’ and have recently started to explore the use of metallic elements. Silver Pink is an example of this but I used the silver as a simple flat block colour unlike other works , which have metallic elements but in a more decorative, patterned background style.

“Time Out“

What appeals to you about acrylic as a medium?  What were the advantages of using acrylic to record the reflections in your painting ‘Time out?’

I think Acrylic is a wonderful medium. Most painters use Acrylics these days. Oils I find, slow down the process of painting, as layering or detailing has to wait until the paint is dry. You don’t have such a problem with Acrylic paint. They can be used as watercolour, or with a palette knife, so quick to build layers of colours and textures. Oils seem a little old fashioned now, acrylics have great pigments and they really do seem to be the go to medium for painters. In my painting Time Out, the versatility of Acrylics allowed me to layer the reflections in the water with ease and immediacy, which in turn helps keep the rhythm going. In addition, corrections and extra detail can be added without the drying time. A modern day medium. Love it!