Cheryl Richardson

From a young age I always remember having a need for a colouring in pencil and brush in my hand.  I studied art at school and continued to draw as a young woman.  With more time in the 80’s I enrolled in drawing and watercolour classes one after the other and I also began private classes in Chinese brush painting.  I have spent many years developing a sequence whereby I can practice the three mediums independently of each other but also as companions, borrowing ideas, rules and skills and blending ultimately to an exciting fusion.

My inspiration comes from mother nature and all of the marvellous moments she offers.  I’m attracted to light, colour, shape and form and the second these elements fuse I can visualise the painting.  This blissful dream eventually turns into a version of the reality on canvas or paper.  My brush marks and paint drips contribute to a life being born.

I spend a lot of time thinking and a very slow and deliberate process of preparation.  The painting is rehearsed over in my mind during this time.  The actual execution can be quite quick if I’m familiar with the subject.  I never think about colours they just happen and my artworks reflect an exaggerated beauty of subjects that have touched me.  Occasionally, I include whimsical creatures in my work asking to be noticed while trapped in a world of illusion and fantasy.

I hope that my landscapes transport my viewer to another place so they can make their own stories.