After finding her passion for painting, watercolour artist Angela Scrivin creates visually stunning pieces that she hopes will evoke both thought and emotional responses from her viewers. Angela finds inspiration through the natural world and her vision is effectively conveyed with her very own technique. As you browse through some of the paintings from her collection below, I think you’ll agree that she’s quite accomplished at her craft. Please take a moment and experience the wonder and beauty of Angela’s exquisite pieces of art.
Angela, it was a pleasure getting to know you and about your creative process. You are a remarkable artist and someone who is definitely worth following. Your works are splendid and I hope to see more great things from you in the future!
If you would like to learn more about Angela or if you are interested in purchasing one or more of her unique works, please visit her website or you can also follow her on Instagram as well.
Can you please tell the readers a bit about yourself?
I’m in my mid 70’s, married with two daughters and two grandsons, and live in a 17thC thatched house where my forbears lived since at least 1903, and which my husband and I bought and restored in the 80s. I am a keen organic gardener, growing almost all of the fruit and veg we eat, love cooking, and adore choral singing. I belong to a small chamber choir and we have just returned from taking our latest concert on a short tour to Italy…..sometimes wonder how I find time to paint!
Where is home?
Home is on the banks of the River Severn in a village south of Gloucester, UK, in fact, the village where I was born.
How did you discover your passion for painting?
On retirement from business, I decided to explore watercolour more having taken a short general art class with a group of other villagers with a professional artist who had taken a fine art degree following her retirement from teaching. I enjoyed it but then business got in the way and I was only able to rekindle my interest once retired.
Are you formally taught or self-taught?
I am self-taught but have attended workshops with various professional artists. I feel it very important to find your inner artist as much as the influences of what you see and hear.
What has been the biggest source of inspiration in your work?
My inspiration comes from the beautiful countryside in which I am lucky to live, my garden, and wild places that I have visited……..buildings and urban areas hold no draw to me.
Which artists are you most influenced by?
The Cornish Artist, Kurt Jackson was my first influence. His loose, expressive watercolours of the area in which he lived and his use of vibrant colours often out of context were really exciting.
Later I was lucky to do workshops with Ann Blockley RI, whose watercolours were drawn from the natural environment on her doorstep. She introduced me to creating texture in a painting and whose style again was loose, not controlling, leaving the magic to unfold. Finally, the late Michael Morgan, whose use of colour, texture, and stylised trees was very inspirational.
What drives you to create; does it satisfy a need or passion?
Watercolour is my passion. It often paints itself with very little intervention on my behalf, but you need the courage to let it do that. Colours meld together given the chance and will create movement and new colours that no amount of palette mixing and brushwork can achieve. It’s those constant surprises that keep my interest.
What do you hope viewers take away from your works?
I hope people can find something in my work that speaks to their senses, makes them pause for thought, and evokes an emotional response.
Do you have any tips for aspiring artists?
Don’t set any expectations of a completed piece just let a painting develop as it will, as there are no hard and fast rules. Play, experiment, and learn what works for you as in that way your own personal “style” will develop. I have found that trying to emulate another’s style can lead to disappointment and discouragement.
What project are you working on now?
During the Covid lockdown, I migrated into more expressive intuitive work and have almost entirely abandoned brushes in favour of liquid watercolour, water spray, and manipulation with bamboo pen and palette knife marks. This means that it would be more accurate to describe my current work as experimental rather than a specific project. The results are diverse but a lot tend towards abstracted landscapes.
What is the process you go through when creating a piece?
I have to be relaxed and peaceful with the chance of no interruptions, as letting pigment and water do the work means constant attention and intuitive decisions My only choices are what colour pigment and how, how much, and where to add water. Dangerous but exciting! It often ends in disaster but every so often something really worthwhile happens.
How do you know when a piece is complete?
Ha! The million-dollar question! For watercolour I believe that less is more, so the point at which you are starting to question whether a painting is finished is the point I stop and walk away.
Where do you currently display your art? How can people purchase one or more of your pieces?
I have work in Number 4 Gallery, St Abbs, Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. Other than that I exhibit locally several times during the year details of which should be on my website, but I am rather poor at keeping that up to date! My latest work and exhibiting information usually goes onto Instagram as it reaches a much wider audience.
What do you think the future holds for you? Where do you see yourself in the next few years?
I’ve no idea, and that is rather the point, I don’t want to know. I will just continue to push the boundaries of watercolours and let my future develop as it will.
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