Painting Accessible Abstracts
Painting Accessible Abstracts
Words by Laura Reiter
Photography by Mike Newman
First published 2010
DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS
MAGGIE MATTHEWS
The source of Maggie Matthews' work is clearly the beach and the sea near her home in south-west England. She makes many sketches outside, working rapidly to try to absorb and capture the essence of the moment. But it is in her studio which she calls her 'sanctuary' that she carries out her paintings. She chooses her colours to 'reflect the ambience of a day'. perhaps to reflect heat or maybe the prevailing weather conditions such as wind or fog. She looks for abstract shapes in the landscape and has a large collection of shells and pebbles. These act as mementos, having been 'shaped by time', and present an endless variety of forms which fascinate her. She paints with mixed media and is also a screenprinter.
ROCKPOOL
Mixed media on canvas, 90x90cm (35x35in)
Again, vibrant colours have been used in this wonderful painting. Simple circles in dark blue represent rocks and boulders, while lighter and brighter colours suggest refections and shadows on the pool floor. It feels as though the viewer is hovering overhead, gazing down into the pool.
PEBBLE POOL
Screenprint, 45x60cm (18x24in)
I love this vibrant screenprint which describes perfectly its title with varied round forms (the pebbles) interspersed with more organic ‘animal’ forms, all portrayed in translucent, vibrating colour.
Painting Accessible Abstracts
Words by Laura Reiter
Photography by Mike Newman
First published 2010
WATERCOURSE-WATERSPLASH
Mixed media on paper, 54x81cm (21x21in)
Maggie Matthews has allowed drips and spindly blue marks to convey a watery feel to this painting, which seems to shelter a hidden ‘stash’ of shells and other beach-bound forms.
MEMENTO
Mixed media on canvas,76x100cm (30x40in)
The rich colours and gold and silver gilding of some of the objects bring a kind of ‘majesty’ to the everyday beach objects in this painting. They could almost be hidden treasure.
