Stunning Wirral coastline and natural environment is an inspiration for Heswall artist

Apr 25 2012 by Linda Foo Guest, Heswall News

THE beautiful Wirral coastline and natural environment is an inspiration for one local artist.

After teaching art in schools and colleges, Karen Gilbert decided to become a full-time artist in 2005.

Since then her work has been exhibited widely throughout Liverpool and Wales.

Living in Heswall, Karen is delighted to be displaying a collection of paintings on her own doorstep at Dee Fine Arts on Telegraph Road.

Karen’s preferred medium is acrylic paint as it holds its own unique attributes.

She has explored innovative and distinctive ways of applying the paint to canvas producing works that are textural, tactile and delicate.

Whether depicting seascapes, flowers or abstract images, Karen’s paintings share a boldness expressed by her use of an impasto technique – a thickly textured paint that is almost three-dimensional in appearance – to apply the background colour combined with a fragility which comes from the application of wafer thin leaves of textured acrylic paint.

Her paintings are often mistaken for being mixed media artworks with the dried paint looking like paper and metallic paint looking like wire or embroidery thread.

Karen told the News: “I’m so pleased to be displaying my work in Heswall after doing lots of exhibitions fairly widely over the last few years. I try different methods of applying paint to the canvas as I like to explore.

“I find my inspiration from the coastline and parks such as Thurstaston. I enjoy the natural beauty spots on Wirral. Whatever the weather, its scenery constantly changes throughout the year.

“Although I’m influenced by landscapes and the natural world, I’ve don’t have a set idea of how the painting will finish.

“The process of actually making the painting is as important to me as the original idea when I started. I don’t have a fixed idea of what it will look like when I’m working.”

Karen’s exhibition is on the ground floor of the Heswall’s Dee Fine Arts gallery until May 18.

Gallery owner Sue Webster added: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to exhibit Karen’s work.

“We have had individual pieces at the gallery over the past few years and these have always been much admired. I was keen to display a collection of her paintings together to show the range of techniques and effects that her unique use of acrylic paint produces.”