Jo Chesterman

Although I work in a variety of media I find that soft pastels complement my visual concerns with how surfaces, shapes and forms are affected by the intervention of light and other natural occurrences. I also combine acrylics and oils with printmaking processes to develop a tactile response to my chosen subjects. These are often studio still life arrangements in which the illumination plays an important part and I spend much time on getting this right before starting to paint. However I also find the quality of light and subjects that reveal themselves in coastal areas generate a parallel strand in my current work beyond the confines of the studio. The elevated or unfamiliar viewpoints and strong side lighting that I favour for the still lifes are also to be found on the sea shore and harbour sides, in washed up trawler line, lobster pots and lichen encrusted walls.

In my paintings I am concerned with more than mere replication of objects. I also have an intellectual and emotional response to how and where I see them. A further subtext in my work is a fascination with why the elements of a still life come together and I seek to give objects a heightened presence and element of mystery which transcends realism. I want my paintings to represent the complicated process of seeing as well, not just the objects themselves. In this way they become in their turn the object.

I am currently engaged with a new body of work in preparation for future exhibitions. My concerns remain the same although I am now including more landscapes and seascapes from my visits to northern parts of the UK, in particular the Shetland Isles.