Lesley Coates Jones

The paintings are optimistic and celebratory. Not seeking to imitate life, they anticipate and share the unexpected. The energy and excitement of the painting process, the intrigue and the mystery is what interests me. Painting is an act of exploration and of attentive relationship to the world. Open-ended and adventurous, it is a risky enterprise, placing ones-self in the realm of the not-yet- known. Whether reflective or extravagant the deep structure of the paintings reflects a serious engagement with the content of the work.

I am an imaginer, an illusionist. The work is informed by my interest in theatre, dance, music and literature. An on-going fascination with ancient signs and alphabets, and the alliance between painting and language enriches and sustains my work.

Drawing is a crucial and integral part of my working process as natural to me as breathing. We do not see to draw, we draw in order to see. My drawings are sourced from landscape, organic and manmade forms. The work is grounded in attention to the natural world, providing a robust underpinning for the intellectual concerns of the paintings.

Art is a two-way journey experienced between the painter and the painting, and the viewer and the painting: a journey made separately and together.



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