Christmas Group Show with the Natasha O’Kane Gallery, Sussex Contemporary Art

I hope you had a great summer. I’m back with lots of news. I’m delighted to report that I am now a grandmother to identical twin boys; Blaise and Oisín. I am going to call myself ‘Nonna’, the Italian for grandma.

I’m also excited to let you know that I’ve been asked by Natasha O’Kane at Sussex Contemporary Art in Lewes to contribute works to a group Christmas exhibition. ‘Art for Christmas’ will be open from 11am – 5pm on Saturday 30th November, Sunday 1st December and Sunday 15th December & by appointment on any other day.

Details will be on the gallery website in October; natashaokane.art.

It’s an honour to join this Lewes gallery. They represent a distinguished roster of artists who I admire, including Nick Bodimeade who has been an instrumental teacher and mentor in my artistic education and career.

I am hard at work on a new series of A3 sized pictures in order to include a selection in the exhibition. I have been painting these simultaneously, moving from one to another and I find this a very exciting way of working. Here is a preview of the work in progress. ‘A Hand of Fabric 2’ from my last exhibition will also be included in the show.

During the summer I really enjoyed taking part in an online course with tutor Rosanna Dean of the Essential School of Painting. I’ve been doing some research and development on a subject that has fascinated me for years. Although I didn’t realise it at the time, my early career experience cropping images as a Picture Editor at Channel 4 gave me an understanding of, and confidence with, composition. We talked on the summer course about how the compositional choices that we think are made by instinct could be the sum of what you have learned and what you have looked at so far in your life.

I have been studying dynamic symmetry, a geometric system for arranging visual elements so that they create balance, rhythm, and a sense of movement. It is based on mathematical laws used in ancient Greece and most importantly found in nature.

It was used by artists including Piero della Francesca, Leonardo Da Vinci and Mondrian, but also sculptors, architects and even musicians, to organize elements in their compositions.

I have been making my own dynamic symmetry composition templates to overlay on photographs of my paintings at a very early stage of their development. I experiment with different templates until I find the one that most closely resonates with the picture I am planning. This template doesn’t dictate a formula for the painting, but allows me to consider adjustments, before I get too far with it, in the light of insights provided by the tool. Here are some of the images as examples.

I’ll be in touch again soon once the exhibition is online.

Have a great week.

Fiona