Jenny Suddaby
In each painting I am trying to answer a specific question, 'What am I trying to say in this picture?' I paint any subject, in any style and in any medium. I am a rational controlled painter. All art influences me - there is just too much to choose favourites.
Contrary to this aim of 'knowing what I wanted to say', some of my paintings were made as strictly ‘workshop’ productions. I was experimenting with styles and techniques to see if I could get a background visual effect. Because my main aim was experimentation, I did not ask myself every time about what I was trying to say. In the case of the figure painting, I first should have asked the question - will this type of background enhance the figure? But did the figure I chose really need enhancing? Wasn’t she striking enough - the background seems more intrusive than enhancing as a consequence - a useful technical experiment, but, for me, an unsuccessful painting.
The bluebell wood painting and the Westminster abbey paintings are the closest to the aim - I wanted to ‘enhance’ a feeling I got when viewing the two landscapes. For each painting, I attempted to use a style/technique to emphasise this feeling, each one with a different style because they were different subjects. To some degree they are technical experiments, but the experiments had a secondary role after the subject. Both, I think, have to some degree ‘worked’. They might not have. In the end, I think it comes down to luck.
I now always try to answer the question ‘What am I trying to say/convey?’ before I start a painting and use that aim to help me decide what style, composition, colour, and shapes to use. Ultimately, the viewer should get the feeling I am trying to convey when looking my painting - if not, then the painting hasn't 'worked'. No title or statement will remedy this.
