Elaine Turnbull was born in Sunderland and grew up in a seaside town in the North East, later studying art and textile design at Newcastle and Edinburgh. Her early memories are of the lighthouse at Souter, of storm-waves crashing over sea walls, and of the foghorn at Marsden. The coast remains an important influence on her painting, following a move to Cornwall in 2009 where her work has developed a particularly strong following. Elaine now works from a studio near Helston, just four fields from the sea.
Elaine's paintings draw together a wide range of influences, from the Scottish Colourists she encountered as a student, to the joyous simplicity of her own children's artwork, to the paintings of the central figures of twentieth-century art in St. Ives, including Alfred Wallis and Ben Nicholson.
"My work begins with observational drawing. I sketch while I am out walking in the landscape around my home. Weather conditions often dictate that the work is done at speed, sometimes just a few marks and lines to convey the essence of the subject. Being immersed in drawing allows images to become embedded in my memory. These can be recalled at a later stage of the painting process, sometimes years later.
"When I am in my studio, the starting point for my painting is spontaneous and experimental. I work on several paintings at once, adding layers of colour and building up surface texture. I enjoy working on a surface with a history and will often go back to a canvas that is quite old and re-work it by over-painting areas and over-drawing – hence the piece builds up over many months, even years.
"There is always a pivotal moment in each painting, which may be in response to something I have glimpsed while out walking or simply an interesting juxtaposition of colours/shapes in my studio. My final intentions are realized when all distractions are stripped away in a moment of clarity. Ultimately, through my practice, I am learning to simplify and pare back, to reinforce the things that are most important to me in my life."
Elaine's paintings draw together a wide range of influences, from the Scottish Colourists she encountered as a student, to the joyous simplicity of her own children's artwork, to the paintings of the central figures of twentieth-century art in St. Ives, including Alfred Wallis and Ben Nicholson.
"My work begins with observational drawing. I sketch while I am out walking in the landscape around my home. Weather conditions often dictate that the work is done at speed, sometimes just a few marks and lines to convey the essence of the subject. Being immersed in drawing allows images to become embedded in my memory. These can be recalled at a later stage of the painting process, sometimes years later.
"When I am in my studio, the starting point for my painting is spontaneous and experimental. I work on several paintings at once, adding layers of colour and building up surface texture. I enjoy working on a surface with a history and will often go back to a canvas that is quite old and re-work it by over-painting areas and over-drawing – hence the piece builds up over many months, even years.
"There is always a pivotal moment in each painting, which may be in response to something I have glimpsed while out walking or simply an interesting juxtaposition of colours/shapes in my studio. My final intentions are realized when all distractions are stripped away in a moment of clarity. Ultimately, through my practice, I am learning to simplify and pare back, to reinforce the things that are most important to me in my life."