artist profile

Kate Richardson

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About the artist

I taught myself to paint with oils about 2 years ago.

Without exception, I can only produce worthwhile paintings when I am either in the depths of despair or height of elation.

Luckily for my art career, I have mercurial mood swings. When life is just okay, I stretch canvasses or even clean the house.

I am drawn towards certain colours. Dark blues, purples and reds when I am despondent, dark skies and stormy seas. Turquoise, yellows and violets when life is good – sunny flowers or Christmas scenes.

Whichever way, I sometimes have to make a conscious effort to leave the purples, light or dark depending on my state of mind, out of the painting. Very often I find I have used it, either straight from the tube – or when it has somehow mixed itself on the palette, and end up with that ‘oh no, its happened again’ feeling, perhaps similar to a dieter who has eaten a chocolate bar by accident.

I have experimented with all mediums but find oil the most versatile and gratifying. I habitually build up the canvas with different media before applying the paint.

This often produces remarkable and unexpected results.

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