Antonia Dewhurst – Open Studios

52 Antonia Dewhurst

Art disciplines: Drawing and painting, Mixed media

After many years concentrating on working from the Life Model and Jazz musicians I have recently spent more time making paintings from the landscape. This includes Hampshire, Devon, Skye, the Alps, and anywhere else that I have time to visit!
I like to experiment with different materials, including charcoal, pastel, watercolour, inks and also oil paints. I usually start with my sketchbook, to find an interesting composition. I do use my camera as an aid, but the most important thing is my reaction to what I see: the light, the contrasts of tone and colour and the scene before me. I think of what Turner said – that he was “trying to capture what it was like to be there”. I am also interested in what the materials I use can suggest to me, and how they can help me to get beyond what I already know. The best times are when something happens that I was not expecting.