Tracey Paterson

Artist Statement

I am not able to answer why I paint, it’s more a question of how could I not paint.

I use painting to process a lot of things, from trying to understand how life works in my adopted home, or noticing the differences and documenting so many things that I still struggle to make sense of even after living in the UK for so long.

I use painting to process the joy and colours I observe day to day, missing home, missing people and grief, feeling displaced or vivid memories from home that feel very different from the life I observe here.  Or just my feelings about my life and what I notice. I create artwork that expresses how I feel and I want my work to be joyous and uplifting. Sometimes it is about reframing how I feel, in the grey dark days I want to paint brighter and wilder to lift my spirits and remember the brighter days that I know are coming soon. I want anyone looking at my work to feel that energy and feel uplifted and energised too.

I find living in the UK fascinating, every day there are small details that are new and even after 15 years I am constantly asking why does it work that way, what does that word mean, why does everyone else seem to understand something that I cannot make sense of.

I paint in bright colours, these are the colours I have always been attracted to and gravitate towards. I want to feel joyful when I paint, to use colours that feel happy and bright and for other people to feel the joy that I felt when I was painting.

 

 

Showing all 4 results