Artists
Profile of Jean Feeney
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Although living in the heart of highland Perthshire, Jean Feeney admits that some of her greatest artistic inspiration comes from a very different part of the Scottish landscape.
From her first visit to Ardnamurchan and the West Coast in 1990 Jean fell in love with the landscape, light and colour there, and these have been at the center of her creative output ever since. Born in York, Jean has Scottish roots through her father's family and came back to live north of the border over 15 years ago
Her love of art stems from childhood but it wasn't until much later that she became an active artist. "I can remember that my school reports always had good art comments, but my father was very keen on science so that was the direction I took!"
When an earlier back injury deteriorated, oddly enough this gave Jean the impetus to rekindle her old love! An intensive fine art training followed and simultaneously she began to develop her own style. Her subjects focus on the raw beauty of some of the remotest areas in Scotland and beyond, and she is becoming known in the art world for her energetic and sculptural use of paint. It has often been remarked that her work displays a keen eye for detail and a sheer joy of application. She has worked in a variety of media and her trademark is strong and bold colour combined with energy, light and atmosphere. Her main influences are the Scottish colourists and some of the German expressionists and, of course, Van Gogh for his love of yellow and use of thickly applied and textured paint
Her work is becoming increasingly in demand and is represented in many private and corporate collections throughout the world. As a result of a growing market she produced her first two limited edition prints in 1993, and many more have followed. These sell widely throughout the U.K.
Artist Statement
Real places inspire me - especially at that fleeting moment when the quality of the light and feel of the breeze, the taste of the air and a gentle sound can stop me in my tracks. So often it's the sea, the coastal landscape and the beaches on the west coast and the islands that quite take my breath away; but the brilliance and exotic smells of sizzling Mediterranean landscapes, languishing and shimmering in the heat, while totally different, have their own stunning effect.
Also important are the people who live within these landscapes and make their homes there and do battle with the elements, and in so doing leave their marks - a fence post, a white gable end, a broken gate, a ruined croft, neat rows of lavender or olive trees...
But, it is the colour, mood and spirit of such places that have become the driving forces when I paint, and so my interpretation is not, therefore, totally representational [nor should it be seen as such] - the painting takes on its own reality as it progresses, with the paint, its surface quality, texture, and the joyful play and reverberation of one colour with another becoming of major importance. In the end, the painted surface finally becomes as valid and important as the original image that started the journey.
The result? Well, each of my paintings is my celebration of the place, the people and of course the paint. My greatest wish is to convey to others the sheer joy I feel when I'm lucky enough to be inspired by the picture before me.
