I have always drawn and painted since early childhood. Mostly self-taught, apart from school art lessons, evening classes in oil painting, and a foundation course in art as part of my City & Guilds Embroidery course. As a primary school teacher in London and Nottingham, I taught, and had a position of responsibility for art. I have been successful in selling work since 2005. In January 2009 I was requested to give a talk, demonstration and workshop to members of a UC3A (University of the Third Age) art group in West Bridgford, which was well received.
My architectural paintings have been featured in exhibitions held at the View From The Top Gallery, in 2006 and 2007. I have also exhibited at the Lace Market Theatre, alone and jointly with my husband, in 2006 and 2007. Joint exhibitions with my husband were also held at various libraries in Nottingham during 2007.
I have always been interested in architecture. In my paintings I try to portray an atmosphere of place, either idyllic, mysterious or quirky, whether contrived or naturally occurring. I enjoy producing simplified or impressionistic depictions of real or imagined buildings, in various styles. I like the juxtaposition of old and new, and will often change the arrangement of real buildings in my paintings to give a more interesting composite layout, or to achieve better balance in proportion, or colour.
The subject of the paintings I am entering for the exhibition is buildings around the Sneinton Market area, and those that can be seen from this area. These buildings are interesting in their various construction, design and history. There are old and new buildings, and many of the older ones have changed their use, for example a bank that is now an architects’ office. I was born, lived and worked in Sneinton, and the buildings around the market were familiar landmarks on my journey to town, and later to my homes in other areas. I have witnessed both the decline and regeneration of the area.
My sources are my own photographs, magazine/newspaper pictures, sketches, memory and my imagination. I often use the Microsoft Paint programme to try out ideas. I use watercolour paper, watercolour and gouache paint, and watercolour pencils. I also use fibre tip, ball point and gel pens, coloured pencils, and occasionally various papers for a collaged work. The pens are used to outline, or shade and emphasize areas.
My inspiration comes from places I’ve lived in or visited, particularly Nottingham, London, Lincoln, Whitby, and Cornwall. I hope that people will recognise places they know and enjoy my representation of them. I have been influenced and inspired by 1930s-50s travel posters, the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements, Escher, and Kandinsky.
Maeve Wright. March 2009.
Contact details: yumyscrum@hotmail.com
