Andrew Bird

"Based in Derbyshire, and a frequent visitor to Cornwall, I find a huge amount of inspiration for my paintings from both of these places.  I love the hustle and bustle of harbours and coastal life, as well as the rugged nature of the landscapes of Derbyshire and Cornwall.

With my work, I try to capture an essence of a place or situation as well as trying to simplify the form and colour of what I see. The images are invariably made using sketched ideas and references from memory or the work is developed instinctively. I am interested in the relationships made using colour and contrasts as well as the interplay of forms and gestural mark-making.  Elements within a painting are based on fleeting images, imagination and experiences, which perhaps aren't visually representative. if compared to a snapshot, but for me, encapsulate a particular slice of time.  

My paintings undergo many additions, with building up of layers, scraping, scratching and re-working the surface to reveal textures and colour below before I would consider them 'complete' and finished.  

I studied Graphic Design at Sheffield and later Fine Art at Bradford. I have found that using these different areas of discipline in my work useful to explore and simplify the visual content of my paintings."