Val Lawson - 2022

Val's work is inspired by patterns and shapes in the world around her, influenced by memories of favourite places or the story relating to a picture. She uses colour, contrast and texture to create her expressive artwork, usually in acrylics, mixed media or oils. Val often works on a series connected by the colour palette or a theme. Her recent work has been purely abstract, but she also enjoys capturing people and taking a quirky viewpoint on a familiar object.

Mostly self-taught, Val has completed various short courses and workshops to develop her skills. Her work has been influenced by various artists: in particular the use of colour by Van Gogh, mark-making by Monet and the use of shapes and tones by Delaunay. Val also loves experimenting with new materials, tools or techniques to find new ways of working; which she then draws from introducing new approaches into her work.

Art and creativity have been constants throughout Val’s life, fitting around the demands of a busy career in IT and a family. In recent years, her hobby has become a passion and she spends time most days in her studio. During lock-down especially, Val found that painting was a great way to escape from the stresses of the pandemic and she used colour exercises to tackle depression caused by isolation. She is currently working on a fundraising commission for Ride High MK.

Val has exhibited locally with various groups and held pop-up shows in different venues in Herts and Beds. She also had a successful solo show in Spain in autumn 2019. In 2020, her abstract painting ‘Reflections 4’ was Highly Commended in the SAA Artist of the Year competition. An active member of Herts Visual Arts, Val values the opportunities for networking and exhibiting.