I was born in the UK but raised in South Africa and both the changing political climate of South Africa and the vibrancy of London’ s easily accessible live music and theatre scenes have benefited me and influenced the work I have produced, culminating in a blending of cultures and experiences.

I won several competitions as a younger artist and my work was displayed all over South Africa as part of travelling exhibitions. I also studied graphic design in South Africa and worked with photographers and as art director of magazines in the news, features, lifestyle and travel markets.

I returned to the UK about 9 years ago and have been working as an art editor in London publishing houses and, while continuing my creative process during this period, I now dedicate my time to it in full and have over the last few years produced a portfolio of one-off pieces of fine art, with a number of additional projects currently in progress.

I mainly produce bespoke fine art pieces in oils, which have always generally been my medium of choice, though I also have some mixed media collage pieces with paper, acrylic, varnish and oils.

I have been focusing on portraits most recently, using my own photographs or ones taken by friends, with their permission. I manipulate the colour and composition of the original images to portray a new, more personal, meaning without compromising the original concept of the image, endeavouring to capture the relationship between a moment caught instantly in time and my interpretation of that moment developed with a brush over a period of time, such that the subjects are fluid in perception once on canvas.

All of my work is based on my fascination with light: the effects of colour flares in low light and reflections on different surfaces in changing weather and light conditions. Each work has a personal meaning to me, which may or may not be obvious on its completion. As the work evolves on the canvas, so does my meaning and the application of it.

Exhibitions

July 2009 London
Coming up:
October 2009 Florence

Contact Lorna

lorna_phillips@sky.com

Lorna’s Gallery