Bridget Tompkins - 2019

Bridget Tompkins is an established local artist who offers watercolour and life drawing tuition to groups and classes, as well as presentations and workshops to Art Societies. She exhibits frequently and examples of her work are regularly displayed at the Courtyard Cafe in St Albans.

Bridget encourages her students to experiment, take risks and enjoy the process of creating the picture. She challenges her students to try new skills and techniques, as they build up layers of colour, allowing accidental marks to instil the image with vigour and interest.

Her students enjoy, if the weather permits, painting in the open air in parks and gardens, as well as visits to major galleries, which often serve as inspiration for new themes in her classes.

Her style has become increasingly loose and relaxed as she has allowed unintentional effects to develop and become part of the composition. Paint is dropped and flicked onto the damp surface so that the colours mix and dissolve into each other. Sharp sticks are dragged across the paper to create direction and texture whilst contrast is highlighted by leaving areas purposefully unpainted.

The human form, both painted and drawn, has been a life long passion. Bridget’s approach has more recently been influenced by the dynamic and swift Chinese ink and wash technique that has complemented her easy and confident style.