Christine Derrick

I am a Somerset-born person and have spent all my life in the region. I began painting in the 1970's after joining a local art group; my early pictures were small local landscapes painted in oils. I participated each year in the group's annual shows and eventually had several small exhibitions shared with a few other colleagues. In the late 80's I was introduced to soft pastels and I began using these as an additional medium.

I continued painting through my early years of married life and having family, but only on a generally leisure-type basis. Most of my paintings up until the 1990's had been landscape subjects, but as I reached my early 40's I began having debilitating back pains. These prevented me from getting out and about much and I realised that I needed to find other subjects to paint. Being blessed with a large garden, I chose to try my hand at flowers and plants. The early works were representational, small paintings in gouache and acrylic inks. Encouraged by the results, I extended the floral subjects into pastels and oils so that, by the turn of the millenium, I was producing a variety of images. (Today, fortunately, I have recovered most of my agility!)

By 2000 I already had a small website in operation; being a technophile, I saw the opportunity for getting my pictures seen beyond the confines of local village-hall exhibitions. By 2001 I had set up a replacement website and this is still active today. I spent some time thinking about how I could develop my paintings beyond the traditional "botanical" styles and was eventually attracted to the larger styles of work that people were producing on box canvas. This made me work larger than I had been previously used to and it led to bolder colours, shapes and even some semi-abstract end results.

Flower subjects provide me with close-up viewing opportunities as well as the "en-masse" effects. Enlarging a subject can produce an image with fascinating deep valleys and folds, coupled with radiant colour. Some flowers are very architectural; calla lilies, for example, are a favourite. Flowers also have individual characters, which the lines and curves within a painting can bring out and exaggerate; tulips have beautiful flame-shaped flowers when half-closed, while oriental poppies have large, waving "wings" of radiant red and orange. To assist with me ideas for painting, I take a lot of photos of my plants....they give me fresh viewpoints and also allow close-up study in rather more comfort than when kneeling or crouched over a flower, peering into its depths! And, of course, they keep me going during the winter months when flowers are not exactly numerous.

I am also drawn to strong lighting effects, I particularly like sharp contrasts of light against dark. Although I spend more time these days with flower subjects, I still like to put in a few landscape subjects now and again. Dark, stormy skies, water, clouds, mists.....anything dramatic, moody or soft. Where possible, I also try to work with these elements in floral pictures. My favourite colours are blues, mauves and transparent purples and greens; I find them soothing, while reds and oranges are of course much more energetic and vibrant. I enjoy being in somewhat desolate landscapes because they raise more emotion; such as marshlands, the long (and often empty) beaches of the Northumberland coastline, and the rugged northern shores of Scotland. These appeal to me because I revel in the enjoyment of my own company (when I can get it!).

Today I work mainly with acrylics and oils on canvas or board. The styles are modern/contemporary or impressionistic; I derive most of my subject-matter direct from natural objects or scenery, but usually allow the work to dictate its own direction, rather than producing an exact copy of the flower or scene in front of me. I "feel" for what is in front of me and try to capture those feelings, rather than precise detail.