“Working outdoors gives me an intimacy with the landscape and this is an important element in the process – the spontaneity of an outdoor study, the shifting tide, the changing light; I am acutely aware of the pressing of time and the need to be economical with detail. I also make notes and take photographs that can be a valuable source of reference and inspiration for ongoing projects within the studio. This allows me to experiment with semi abstract themes and develop ideas that are taken directly from nature.”
Andrew Jago
Andrew grew up in St Mabyn, a small village in North Cornwall, nestled neatly in between the moors and the coast. He loved to sketch and explore woodlands, the parish valleys and rugged coastline around Polzeath and Camel Estuary. This is where he found inspiration and developed an interest in landscape painting.
After developing a solid foundation in drawing he then completed his formal training at Falmouth School of Art. Painting in the open air over many years has helped him to develop the tonal subtleties of his colour palette; which aim to express the nuances of atmosphere and a sense of place.
He uses loose and dynamic brushwork, conveying the immediacy and freshness of a sketch in a finished painting, applied with a combination of washes and thick impasto paint, often painting subjects that are in motion such as clouds and waves. Andrew has been inspired by the painters of the Impressionist movement such as Monet, Turner, Sisley and Whistler and follows some of their principals, such as the emphasis on colour and light, rather than exact line and form.
