Jill Barthorpe

I spent four years at the Slade School of Art, University College London, graduating in 1985 with an Honours Degree in Fine Art. After winning a European Scholarship I went to paint in South West France for a year. Returning to London I set up a studio but continued to spend half my year painting in France with occasional trips to Italy and Spain. Five years ago I moved my studio to rural Leicestershire where the wide open countryside and huge skies provide constant stimulation for my landscapes; the perfect contrast to London where my husband and I still spend part of each week.

For me the excitement of painting is trying to capture the ‘likeness’ of things without slavish description. Paradoxically I find the most interesting way to carve out this reality is to use objects of an ephemeral nature: trees, clouds, flowers; their constant movement and the passage of the light during the day forces me to make decisions about their essential character and to attempt to draw that, rather than rely on an impression based on the moment. Similarly my approach to colour is to distil the essence and define the point of change rather than model the surface.

Over the past 20 years I have exhibited extensively in London, the UK and America. My paintings have been selected several times for ‘Critics Choice’ exhibitions and have been sold through Christie’s of London contemporary art sales. My work is also featured in several important corporate collections.

 

 

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