Artist's Statement

Inspiration for a piece of work begins with an attraction to an aspect of colour, light, form or design: To express how the sunlight illuminates the petals of a flower, the way a dog’s eyes come alive when it’s alert, or to see a person’s pose communicating silently, drive me to create.

Everyday a new subject may present itself. Therefore, I am open to the depiction of a wide range of subjects and use various methods and mediums in my work. However, I do have preferences:

I like to draw with charcoal, pulling the image out of the paper with a rubber, like a sculptor fashioning a body out of stone. For exploring colour and painting more elaborate compositions, I use Oil paints and enjoy their physical qualities and versatility.

Portraiture can be very rewarding, both from the artwork itself and establishing a relationship with the person or animal in the process. Portraits are always a challenge of technical ability and observation skills to render likeness and personality with success and in deep concentration, I often loose sense of time working to achieve the correct perspective, subtleties of expression, or movement of muscle under fur.

The world of plants and flowers is often where I am inclined to find my inspiration, with countless specimens to paint that show the entire spectrum of colour, incredible design, all eager to be re-created on canvas. Flowers also have an internal strength and resilience that belies their fragile exterior and this I admire greatly.

Working with collage is an intuitive way of expressing my creativity. I use it as a release, by letting the picture dictate how it will evolve putting together the layers and forms until it feels right and satisfies visually.

Whilst these are my preferred subjects and mediums, I also work in watercolour, acrylics, pastels and printmaking and as mentioned above – inspiration can come from anywhere!

Biography

Rebecca is a versatile artist frequently exhibiting her art in solo and group shows in the UK and in Europe since 2003. She gained her B.A Hons. Degree in 1998, in Fine Art and ArtHistory at the University of Gloucestershire, where she studied oil painting. Rebecca now thrives by working in a range of mediums and techniques and has developed a close affinity and passion of working with charcoal which has resulted in a series of portrait commissions.

Born and raised in the South of England, Rebecca also lived near Lisbon in Portugal for ten years, returning to Oxfordshire in 2014. Whilst in Portugal, Rebecca began specializing in portraits of dogs and in 2011, she founded the network "Create Portugal” for artists living and working in Portugal. Through running Create Portugal, Rebecca managed a group of artists of various nationalities and artistic styles, organizing and curating collective exhibitions and events for the network’s members in Lisbon and surrounding areas of Portugal.

Rebecca currently participates in various local events for artists including Bucks Art Weeks and Thame Art crawl, amongst others. She also runs a weekly art class for adults, works at Obsidian Art gallery, tutored for ColourWheel and has given art workshops as therapy for people with acquired brain injury for the Headway charity. Rebecca lives with her husband and her beloved Portuguese dogs in Oxfordshire.

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions Uk & Portugal

2019 - Bucks Art Weeks 2019, Walker’s Yard (Unit 1), Longwick, Bucks.

2016 - Bucks Open Studios 2016, 22 Garden City, Thame, Oxon.

2013 - Portugal, pintura, pastel ~ Padrão, palavra, papel, Equuspolis Gallery, Golegã, Portugal.

2005 - Florália. Casa do Brasil, Santarém

            02/05 Recent works, Galeria Respública. Santarém

            Arte na clínica. Clinic Manuel C Ferreira, Azambuja

2003 - Recent works, New Greenham Arts Centre, Newbury, Berks.

UK Group Exhibitions

2019 - 30 th Watlington Art Show, Watlington, Oxon.

            Thame Art Crawl, Pretty Like Pictures, Thame.

            Horse in Art, Obsidian Art Gallery, Stoke Mandeville.

            Summer Exhibition, Obsidian Art Gallery, Stoke Mandeville.

2018 - 29 th Watlington Art Show, Watlington, Oxon.

2017 - Artists at Green Dragon, Bucks Open Studios 2017. Green Dragon Eco Centre, Hogshaw.

            Spring Exhibition, Obsidian Art Gallery, Stoke Mandeville, Bucks.

2016 - The Artists Dozen Winter Exhibition, The Green Dragon Eco Centre, Hogshaw.

            Broadway Art Festival 2016, Little Buckland Gallery, Broadway, Glos.

            Brill Art On The Hill, art fair at Brill School.

2015 - Deep Crisp Even, Upstairs Gallery, Berkhamsted.

            Stand at Artists and Makers Fair, Town Hall, Thame, Oxon.

            Stand at Village Pop-Up Shop, Chinnor Village Hall, Chinnor.

            Pretty Like Pictures Gallery & Framing Shop, Thame, Oxon

            Bucks Open Studios 2015, A Little Bird Told Me Gallery, Wendover.

            Fanfare Exhibition, Bucks Open Studios 30 th year. County Museum, Aylesbury.

            Draw Exhibition. Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot.

2014 - Thame Art Show 2014, Rotary Club Thame Barns, Thame.

2004 - Berks Open Studios 2004 ,Mini Documentary about my studio filmed by Afterstage studio.

            British Contemporary Artists, Woolton Hill Gallery, Berks.

2003 - Berks Open Studios 2003: Exhibition Insight, Miscellany & Art in the Council Chamber.

            British Contemporary Artists, Woolton Hill Gallery, Newbury.

Portugal Group exhibitions

2014 - Art Hoje, Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes - The National Society of Fine Arts, Lisbon

            40th Anniversary of “25 Abril”. Luso-Brasilian Assoc for Cultural Integration, Santarém

2013 - Arte Algarve VII, Arte Algarve Gallery, Lagoa

2012 - M.A.L.A collective, José Tagarro Gallery, Cartaxo

2010 - Cabinet d’Amateur, Sala do Veado, Natural History Museum, Lisbon

2008 - O Jardim, Sala do Veado, Nat. History Museum, Lisbon

2004-05 - III Exposição Caminhos das Artes no Centro Histórico de Santarém, Casa do Brasil.

2003-04 - II Exposição Caminhos das Artes no Centro Histórico de Santarém, Casa do Brasil

Create Portugal Group Exhibitions, Portugal

2016 - Musicando - Create Portugal exhibition, Zêzere Arts Festival 2016, Ferreira do Zêzere Cultural Centre & Municipal library Dr. António Baião.

2014 - Sons Visuais, Zêzere Arts Festival 2014, Library & Cultural centre Ferreira do Zêzere.

2013 - Zêzere Arts Festival 2013, Cultural Centre & Library, Ferreira do Zêzere.

2013 - Affordable Pop-Up Art Show & Soiree, Estoril.

2013 - 10>10 Pop-Up Art exhibition, Cascais.

2012 - Prisma Lusitano, Sala de Leitura Bernardo Santareno, Santarém.

2011 - Create Portugal network’s launch, LX Factory, Lisbon.