Hi, I’m Victoria and I am a practicing artist living here in Felixstowe. I’ve lived and grown up surrounded by the stunning beach and the quaint countryside - somewhere that I recognise as having shaped a large part of my personality and the nature of my artwork. The idyllic charm of the Suffolk landscapes always draws this endless influence and inspiration into my art with mark making, colour palettes and fluidity of my pieces. I never fail to run out of ideas for where to develop or improve my paintings, as even looking outside of my window I’m met by the cheerful buzz of nature and life all around me.
Recently, I’ve been painting on larger canvases where I am able to create depth by working into areas and building up different layers onto my pieces to give it a three dimensional appearance. It’s very important for me to mirror the textures and surfaces that I see in nature such as tree bark, carvings, grains of sand as it allows for my work to have that connection with the viewer. As a community I like that we can all relate and share the experience of living in Suffolk and the daily reminders from this environment as a place which is so rich with cultural heritage and beauty.
Living a short walk away from the beach, I often find myself down there documenting and recording some of the observations I’ve come across. These can be anything from the way the light hits the water from different angles or how at different times of the day the beaches echo a different feeling and atmosphere for beach-lovers and walkers. I find there’s something mesmerising and completely refreshing when visiting these places in the early morning or in the evening, as there’s often the same restful stillness that carries across the water. The movement is much slower than during the height of the day where, especially in the evenings when nature starts to unwind, the slower energy in the waves is very therapeutic and great for your general well-being to be in this relaxing environment that we are very lucky to have here.
Many of my paintings respond to the way the light moves and places itself in spaces then wraps around and blocks areas in the canvas. There is often a contrast between the light and the dark where certain shapes dominate and take control of spaces. I take a lot of inspiration from cubism and from contemporary artists such as Jason Anderson, Julie Mehretu, and artists such as Olafur Eliasson for his responses to nature and creating a shared experience through his larger sculptures. Contemporary art uses a mix of materials, new ideas and can challenge pre-existing concepts of art. I love the sense of freedom this gives me as I am not afraid of going over the top or too big as others have proved that there is no limit to how much you can add to your art or whether it makes sense to everyone. Art nowadays can be left for discussion - an open conversation as to what the artists intentions really are. But what I’ve learnt about my art is that It comes from a place of freedom, expression and happiness knowing that it doesn’t have to be perfect or fit in with other pieces; it can be different and unique. Yet my main source of inspiration is something which is all around us and something which we can not only have for free but all have access to... nature. And in a place right by the coast, Felixstowe is somewhere which offers a lot of this for everyone to get inspired by.