Clive Patterson - 2019

The subject of Clive’s work expresses his personal interpretation of landscape using visual and emotional experiences he gathers from chosen locations and environs. When he finds subjects that appeal and resonate with him, he records those images using paint, gestural mark-making, drawings and photographs.

His practice has moved from the literal translation of formal landscape images, towards painted abstractions of subject, place and mood.

Inspiration for a painting arrives by noting elements of interest, structural motifs, and colour combinations, often using a fusion of two or more viewpoints or a juxtaposition any of them. Within each piece of work, he attempts to build a tension around features which may appear obscure at first glance, but which with deeper investigation reveal links that connect to the observed location.

Underlying core colours set a basic tone to his paintings, often using contrasting colours to emphasise form and pattern, and provide vibrancy and balance within the composition. These features set up an oscillation between easily identified shapes and those that are less defined. Most of his pieces are scaled to a square shape rather than the more usual long landscape format with the intention of encouraging the viewer to ponder what may lie outside the boundaries of this restricted form.

Clive wants viewers to connect with the source of inspiration inherent within the paintings, firstly by some recognition of chosen elements, but ultimately by taking a journey into the abstract thoughts around the subject and the scene.

Acrylic and oil paint are his chosen mediums for most paintings with additional use of pastel crayon, graphite pencil, charcoal or oil bar when he wants to emphasise structure, or to delineate portions of the painting that need stronger visual direction. Most of his work is on prepared ply board as this supports heavy mark making and thick impasto paint he uses.