Artistic activity is like a journey. Creating new works explores the unknown. We move forward on the basis of experience and knowledge gained in the past. A single work never stands alone, from previous paintings the germ of an idea grows for the next. Either out of impulse or by consciously following a thread, sometimes stimulated by the artistic technique used, there is always a new starting point that is not too difficult to find. Should the development stall, reflecting on it will usually reveal a direction. Follow this new path as far as it goes, then stop and look for the way forward. In this rhythm of creative activity, I have tapped into a rich vein of imagery influenced by observations from nature. Walking through the local countryside, impressed by the vastness of the landscape, distant farms, clouds rising high into the blue sky on fine days or passing by on the wind from the southwest. One experiences the fields of fertile earth, with different crops, of barley or maize, potatoes or rape; all have their own shapes and colours. From sowing to harvest, from seedling to maturity, they are constantly changing through the stages of growth and decay. The shrubs and trees by the wayside also show their seasonal changes. Throughout the day, changes of light and darkness affect our visual and sensory awareness. Our perception of nature is constantly changing, an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Throughout the year we experience the change of seasons, growth and change that nature displays before our eyes. Patterns and rhythms, colours and structures imprint themselves on our understanding of nature. Anyone who walks the paths through the fields with an interested eye can only benefit from the joy of nature. The new paintings in oil pastel bear witness to this creative engagement with nature.
