Hope Restored Painting

I have been painting since I was a very small child. I grew up in a creative family (my father was a sculptor and my mother a painter) and was always encouraged in my pursuits. Over the years, I have gone through various creative phases but I eventually returned to making marks with paint and brushes or whatever tool seemed right at the time, and now I paint with acrylics and oils. I love colours and the way they can be blended or juxtaposed to create different moods. My art reflects me in many ways and I paint intuitively and from the heart. I aim to inject a sense of movement and the illusion of a three-dimensional image, taking my inspiration from many sources including the beauty of the real world which contrasts sharply with many man-made things. Anything, really, can be a source of inspiration for me. I do not attempt, or want, to simply reproduce exactly what already exists but prefer to interpret what I see and to let my imagination lead the way.I am mostly self-taught as I prefer to work without the constraints of imposed methods. Mostly, the colours I choose determine my way when I paint, and also lead the way in the form that my shapes take. I resist being 'pigeon-holed' by what I do in life or in what I paint. My work is what it is... Ultimately, I am most "me" when I paint, and the ideas just keep coming.