Sussex is a picturesque landscape and we are surrounded by a wealth of natural beauty here in Lewes, and it’s no surprise that beauty inspires the creativeness inside of us all.
In this edition of Artists Corner, we sat down with contemporary artist Nicky Edwards to find out how the local landscape has inspired her work and how some of her artwork can take up to 40 hours to complete.
Nicky Edwards
“Growing up in Kent, painting has always been a choice hobby from an early age. I studied at a local art college, completed a BTEC national diploma in fine art and then went on to do a foundation course in art and design.
“When I was young, I remember visiting my grandfather in Jersey and him giving me a sketchbook where I really enjoyed painting in his back garden. I also remember sketching the beautiful scenery at St Brelade’s Bay and adding hints of watercolour to the sketches. To be honest it didn’t look like much at the time but my grandfather always lovingly encouraged me to keep trying and keep practising. I suppose from there, I grew a passion to paint more and more.
“Following health complications, a few years ago I picked up painting again and rediscovered my love for creating unique work.”
Can you tell us about the style of your paintings and where you find your inspiration for new ideas?
“My style of painting is contemporary. My work is very much based on my own imagination and interpretation of the lovely surrounding landscape of Sussex. I love to create raw textures using a pallet knife and also softening areas of my work using a sponge.
“Sussex is such a beautiful place to live – with everything from the wonderful town in Lewes through to the stunning countryside, the small lush villages and the local coast. The area is such a peaceful place to live and my experience of this community is that people look out for one another.
“I absolutely love Turner’s paintings, particularly ‘Snow Storm’ and the way his work has so much movement balanced by light.”
Can you talk to us about the process and how long it takes to complete a painting from start to finish on average?
“So, I start with the sky and make my way down the piece. Using a pallet knife, I receptively just keep adding paint and soften with a sponge until I feel the clouds have taken the right shape. I then move down to the horizon and add block colours across the land and leave it to dry. Again, I continue to add more paint and brighter colours, balancing the overall look with a sponge. Quite often I would go over with a tiny paint brush and place extra detail. I often like to add hints of colour using oil pastels. This give a really good rawness to my work; the whole painting depending on the size and can take anything from 8 hours to 40 hours.”