Tim explains
- his work and where he gets his influence
I feel colour, light and a sense of intimacy with the subject are paramount to my work. They add to the drama and create a touch of theatre. The ambiguous role of the spectator injects a sense of unease suggesting an undisclosed narrative, giving the images a fairytale quality.
I don't paint 'nice' pictures, I paint with a passion and my mood, and this, with the mood and character of my subject, infuses the work.
Oil paintings are best painted outside. There is something about working outside, the quality of the light and engaging with the elements, that energise my painting. I mostly work from my own material viewed though lens based media, as this allows more control and enables the instant to be acquired. The camera permits capturing the essence of the personality of the subject in a way that just isn't possible when working from life. I find no issues with working through the lens as long as the attributes and limitations of the media are fully understood. If it was good enough for Manet and Degas and scores of great artists since I see no valid argument for not using it. Perception of colour and the empathy of the world I paint comes from experience of painting directly from the subject. It's something I was taught and something I practice on a regular basis. Rapid marks demand confidence. Each mark must justify its place in the image and express form and motion in a process that is part training - part iintuition. The intimacy of engaging directly with the surface, asserting control over every element of the image is an advantage painting has over photography. A painting is true artefact in itself and will have substance irrespective of any market value. The finished article being tactile, with the hand-of-the-artist present thoughout.
I studied a BA in Fine Art under the tuition of Chris Muir, a superb figurative painter, who was tutored by artists such as William Coldstream, Euan Uglow, Frank Auerbach and eventually by the American artist, Jacob Lawrence. Chris and I have since become firm friends and his solid advice and unparalleled knowledge of painting has been instrumental in driving my work to new levels.Influences include: Walter Sickert, Euan Uglow, Bill Viola, Edward Hopper, Edgar Degas, Gerhard Richter, Jenny Saville and many more.
