Carole Knighton

My work is a response to the terrain of all the beautiful places where I have lived. Growing up in the Chiltern Hills, living and working in Cornwall, the New Forest, Scotland and now retired in Dorset. I am drawn to mountains, moorlands and lochs, combes and cliff tops, the sea and shore. Nature and the landscape, it’s history, geography and geology, inspire me. When I first started to paint my landscapes were based largely on realism but increasingly my work is becoming more abstract. More about the feeling of walking in the hills, being barefoot in the sand or listening to the sea over pebbles.
My process begins by taking photos on my walks in Dorset and trips to Scotland and abroad, always creating a journal while I’m away. In the studio, I commit to canvas, or paper, an impression, a memory and hopefully an emotion felt while being in that place. I work in acrylics and mixed media using brushes and various tools for mark making, rags, scrapers, sandpaper. I love the process of adding and subtracting layers of paint until the alchemy begins and a hidden memory of somewhere emerges. I love experimenting with colours and materials.
I have an MA (Hons) in Art History and took up painting about 12 years ago. I am largely self-taught and with the encouragement and experience of tutor lead art groups I have gained enough knowledge to know the most important thing is to have fun.