Discussing her style, painting techniques and what inspired her to become an artist, we sit down with Sophie Fraser, whose work turns heads in our modern Devonshire homestay, Linea.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Your artwork featured in Linea beautifully complements the space, can you tell us about the process behind your work?
Exploring my relationship with the landscape, I aim to capture my initial reaction to a scene and harness that feeling of energy. Showcasing the coastal areas and moorland within West Cornwall in an invigorating and evocative way is a big focus. The paint application, mark-making, and texture are key aspects within my pieces while directional brushstrokes and strong textural echoes of the desired landscape come through within my paintings and drawings. Something draws me into the landscape and I want to capture my own connection with the ever-changing surroundings. I use oils, charcoal, graphite, and oil bars, working with a few favourite brushes, scratching implements and a palette knife to get the desired outcome. I start with a preliminary visual idea in mind, whether from memory, sketches, smaller paintings or photographs; then I let intuition kick in on top of the visual matter. There is a balance between abstraction and atmospheric reflection within my paintings, I find the paint needs to speak for itself.
We see that many of your pieces take inspiration from landscapes and the elements, what else inspires you to create?
Light and colour have always captivated me. Growing up in Cornwall has had a huge influence on my interest in landscape and colour; the difference and quality of light around Cornwall is immense. The light in West Penwith has especially beautiful qualities, the spectrum of colour is vast and the shades are so potent depending on the mood of the weather. This is what initially got me interested in the subject and has definitely continued throughout my life.
What inspired you to become an artist?
I wish to compel viewers into remembering my art and thinking about what a particular piece says to them. I’ve always immersed myself in art, ever since I was little I’ve been fascinated with creating my own work and personal style. After being questioned at age four "would you like to be an artist when you grow up?", I answered ‘I am an artist’. When creating a piece of art I feel a sense of purpose and achievement, bringing something to the world that others can appreciate in an individual and personal way makes me feel alive.
What artists influence your style the most?
Throughout my life, I have been continually influenced by artists such as Matisse, Turner, Monet, André Derain, Chantal Joffe, and Frank Auerbach to name a few. Recently I have found the work of Mike Hindle, Maxine Hart, Joan Eardley and Paul Wadsworth to be particularly inspiring to me. I seem to be attracted to each of their definable styles, use of bold mark-making, colour interactions and sense of truth in what they create.
What three words would you use to describe your work?
Bold, evocative, alive.
Do you have a personal favourite piece that you have created?
At the moment I would say a personal favourite of mine has to be 'Veil of Light Above Sennen, Cape Cornwall Haze'. I feel there is pure and raw energy within this painting that continues to excite me, an echo of the place shines through whilst maintaining focussed on the abstract nature of the light.
'Veil of Light Above Sennen, Cape Cornwall Haze' by Sophie Fraser
