Artist's Statement & CV
My paintings, sketches & drawings convey
and reflect a personal experience I feel, both visually and emotionally
from various landscape locations
Artist’s statement – September 2021
My paintings mostly describe landscape images that I have observed. For some who find this subject interesting, they might anticipate wide-open views of countryside featuring fields, meadows and hills. This is the traditional understanding of the subject, but alternative views could also be considered such as arrangements of neighbourhood buildings, local streets, or even the interiors of rooms all of which give the term ‘landscape’ a wider scope for interpretation. All this wealth of subject matter is the object of Clive’s artwork as he uses three words to guide his thoughts when he considers making a landscape painting, these are – ‘Place, Pattern & Presence’.
Firstly – Place, which he selects as the subject of a painting and is often where Clive has visited and has impressed him, and is the reason for wanting to share that experience.
Second – Pattern is a term that may seem unusual regarding landscape, but it can be used to assess a series of forms, boundaries, & textures that are visually interesting and will carry through to be the framework of a painting.
Last – Presence, this is the ‘life’ of a painting which gives the viewer a shared experience of what a picture is trying to express.
With these guiding principles in mind, Clive uses them as a starting point of a picture, to which he often incorporates a visual journey of abstract thoughts that may summarise a particular experience within the subject. If these occur in a picture they may appear obscure at first glance, but with deeper investigation reveal links to the observed location. Clive uses underlying core colours to set the basic tone of paintings, often using contrasting colours to emphasise form and pattern providing vibrancy and balance within the composition. Most of his paintings are a square shape rather than a landscape format, this is to encourage the viewer to ponder what may lie outside the boundaries of this restricted form.
Acrylic and oil paint are Clive’s chosen mediums with the additional use of pastel crayon, graphite pencil, and charcoal when he wants to emphasise structure. Most of his work is on prepared plyboard as this supports heavy mark-making and thick impasto and provides a firm base ideal for scraping back or revealing underpainting.
Painters that have influenced Clive’s work are mostly from the pre-and post-war Cornish School such as Peter Lanyon, Patrick Heron, Ben Nicholson, and Victor Passmore. More recently he admires the work of Barbara Rae and American artists, Wolf Khan and Brian Rutenberg.
Examples of his work can be found on Instagram – @clivepatterson Facebook clive@clivepatterson.com Web: www.clivepatterson.com
Comment on abstraction
“An artist needs to be fluent in the languages of realism and abstraction.
“By realism I mean the formal aspects of art—the painting techniques and drawing skills we develop over time through experience.
“Abstraction is the other side of the coin, the visual language that frees us to paint and draw what is going on inside our heads. It means that I may be looking at a tree, but I want to paint power, life, majesty, and wisdom. The tree becomes a vessel for my message, not the message itself.”
— Courtney Jordan, Editor – Artist Daily
C.V.
Past Exhibitions
2021
- Linden Hall Gallery –‘Winter Show’ – Deal, Kent 2021
- The Collective Gallery – Principles of Art – St Albans
- Childwickbury Arts Fair – Harpenden (participating artist 2021)
- Ayot St Lawrence – Open Submission Show – 2021
2020
- The Royal Institute of Oil Painters 2020 – annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries – London
- Linden Hall Gallery –‘Winter Show’ – Deal, Kent 2020
- Linden Hall Gallery –‘Lockdown Series’ – Deal, Kent 2020
2019
- Camden Image Gallery – London 2019
- Hertford Open Exhibition – 2019
2018
- Linden Hall Gallery – Winter Open Show – Deal, Kent 2018
- Royal Institute of Marine Artists – Mall Galleries, London 2018
- Iona House Gallery – Woodstock 2018
- Camden Image Gallery – London 2018
- (show with the North London Artists & Sculptors Group)
- Childwickbury Arts Fair – Harpenden (participating artist 2018)
- Ayot St Lawrence – Open Submission Show – 2018
- Nude Tin Can Gallery – St Albans – 2018 (Solo show)
2017
- The Strand Gallery – London (Group show with the North London Artists & Sculptors Group)
- Childwickbury Arts Fair – Harpenden (participating artist 2017)
- Tinca Gallery – Portishead (North Somerset Arts week)2017
- Art Dialogues, Espacio Gallery
- Childwickbury Arts Fair
- Somerset Arts Week, Tinca Gallery,Portishead
- Colour & Form, The Strand Gallery, London
2016
- Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Gallery
- Childwickbury Arts Fair
- Joint showing, Tinca Gallery, Portishead
2015
- Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Mall Gallery
- Place & Space, Espacio Gallery, London
- Horizon, Nude Tin Can Gallery, St Albans
- Hertford Open Exhibition
- Landscape & City, Camden Image Gallery, London
2014
- Making Seen, Espacio Gallery, London
- Mixed Show, Camden Image Gallery, London
- Points of View, Espacio Gallery, London
- Material Matters, Espacio Gallery, London
- Hertford Open Exhibition
- Tudor House Gallery, Sawbridgeworth
2013
- St Albans Art Society, Best in Show
- Hertford Open Exhibition
- New Artists Fair, Candid Gallery, Islington, London
2012
- Short listed for Royal Institute of Oil Painters Open
- Short listed for NEAC Open
- Cork Street Open Exhibition
- Short listed for the ING Discerning Eye
- Hertford Open Exhibition
2011
- St Albans Art Society Summer Exhibition
2010
- Hertfordshire Visual Art Forum Open Exhibition
- University of Hertfordshire Open Exhibition
- St Albans Art Society Summer Exhibition
2009
- University of Hertfordshire Open Exhibition
- St Albans Art Society Summer Exhibition, Commended
Selected Work
2010
- Painting selected for display in the St Albans Crown Court of Justice