Making an Exhibition

Since I've decided that my business plan is to "go with the flow" and be open to new opportunities and collaboration, I've been both excited and nervous by what's come my way.  It has meant, however, that as my business becomes busier, my personal projects have had to take a back seat. Even though I've had less time to develop my paintings, I've been able to carve out some leisure time at the weekends to continue "playing with paint" without pressure or expectation. 

Many of you will have seen on social media or on my blog that a very large Art by Flynn doodle is currently adorning some scaffolding in Worcester's High Street.  As restoration work is carried out on St Helen's on the High Street church, I've been asked to show some of my latest pieces in an exhibition inside the church too.  What a great opportunity! 

There is so much value in putting together a collection for exhibition as it forces me to make sense of my work; to dissect and explain my process. In doing so I always have a revelation about the deeper meaning of what I've expressed and better understand my creative process. A series of current paintings to an artist is like a new album release for a musician: it gives a snapshot of the artist's life right now. 

I'd managed to produce a number of paintings during my weekend sessions. With this exhibition in mind, I placed them side by side and gave them a good long, hard look, urging them to explain themselves!  

It's a curious thing, but I'm often not conscious of what my painting is saying until after I've painted it. 

When I start, I make decisions concerning the subject matter, usually a place I've visited and had an emotional response to. There is often a technique that I want to develop further from a previous painting, a colour palette I want to use and a sense of the composition; so there's some conscious intention at the get-go.

However, creative expression is a wonderfully messy thing. There is a moment in the process when the analysis stops and intuition takes over. It is in these moments of absolute calm and relaxation when boldness happens and risks are taken.

Expressionism, as an artistic genre, epitomises one of my favourite quotes from - not a fellow artist - but from Aristotle who said:

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance" 

Expressionist artists (especially abstract ones) have signature mark-making and colour legends that have developed over time and have become, not only an extension of the artist's personality, but a spilling out of their inner life and soul.

I'm still learning and developing as an expressionist artist - I expect it to take at least a lifetime to master! - but it was reassuring to study these latest pieces and find a piece of my soul reflecting back.

The exhibition at St Helen's on the High Street Worcester is open every Friday between 10am until 2pm and will run until the end of July 2018