TIDES, TEXTURE, TOUCH

Oil and pastels by Jill Shalless

Tide + Texture: Focusing on the fragility and enduring nature of the coastal environment.

Painting, a life enhancing occupation, like breathing it keeps the senses alert and the grey matter stimulated.

For this exhibition I have two distinct bodies of work; conscious of the gallery setting I have drawn from the local surrounds, firstly, ‘tide’ and ‘texture’ which has a deliberate focus on these elements. Included in several landscapes a surreal element of fabric – creating tension between the human presence and the natural world. Introducing the idea of ‘touch’ and considerations of how we touch the earth, the textural contrast of fabric within the environment further illustrates this tension.
Part of my visual exploration is to better understand how we can coexist with our beautiful planet.

The complex narrative of nature reflects our complex lives; vulnerable, sensitive, enduring and tenacious, wild and restless with moments of calm and stillness, all interwoven.