I think of myself as a figurative painter. I find myself constantly inspired by faces of people surrounding me and my paintings are usually motivated by an image that moves me emotionally, it can be either by the reaction that I get when I look at it or by the emotion that the picture or person depicts, usually both....
The core of my work is the fascination of human experience, what the soul is saying, exploring moods and emotional states. What is particularly important for me in the painting is to convey and arouse feelings and emotions.
For me painting is about recording aspects of life. A painting should act as a reminder of moods, places and scenes that could otherwise go missing in time. I want to engage the viewer’s imagination and leave space for their own stories to arise, to engage, and to bring their experiences and associations…. their own connections.
I love traditional portraits and figures and there will always be a place for them, but at the moment I am exploring and translating human experiences into more contemporary colours and images evoking interpretation and intrigue……
At this moment in time I am working on showing both sides of me and perhaps a little in between!!
Avrel Bateman