I recently discovered British artist Felicity Keefe on social media, and reached out to her to find out more about what inspires her to create.

I love finding unique, talented and inspirational artists like felicity and am always curios to learn more about the artistic process.  The colors, elements of nature, and landscapes are what really caught my eye in her artwork.

Since our environment is of the utmost importance, to capture it in such unique beauty is truly inspiring.

 

 

Artist Interview with Felicity Keefe:

Is there a piece of artwork you are most proud of? Why?

It changes all the time!  Sometimes a piece I previously disliked starts to grow on me or one I thought was great starts to look less great overtime.   However I am fond of “Destination 1 and 2” pictured here.  They are large-scale pieces and the freedom and sense of euphoria when you get into the flow of painting on a large-scale is wonderful.
These are from a few years back but I still feel proud of them.  I love to work in series, for me it captures the sense of movement and flux that the landscape is really about, each painting slightly different but still part of a set or visual dialog.

How do you know when a work is finished?

That’s a tricky one.   I can overdo my paintings and ruin them, so what I tend to do now is break regularly and then go back to them so I can see them clearly.   This process normally helps me realize the finishing point.   I also work intuitively so sometimes I just have a feeling something is resolved.   Having said that, some paintings evolve over years with me re-working or painting over sections endlessly until I get them ‘right’.

What inspires you? What inspired this piece/idea?

My landscape pieces are inspired by my experience of the British landscape as it change and reacts to the seasons, weather and the passing of time.  I love nature and feel inspired and elevated by it on a daily basis, so for some time it has been a main inspiration in my work, even though I work with it in a semi-abstract way.  My work over the years has been inspired by a blending of traditional landscape, literature, personal mythology and environments or spaces I feel connected to.

What is your most important artist tool?  Is there something you can’t live without in your studio?

Well actually I would have to say water!  I use a lot of it on my canvases, throwing it onto the painted surface and then taking it off to form the marks and structure of my work.  In this way I can work partly with chance and partly with intent to form the painting itself.  I also have particular brushes for particular types of mark making, so if I lose one that can be stressful!

Is there an element of art you enjoy working with most? Why?

Well paint obviously as a material is always sublime to work with.   It’s so very alchemical and constantly surprises.   But I also enjoy working with text and image combined in a journalistic way, which help me plan my work process and organize my thoughts .  My other love is literature, so words, sentences and poetics have always played a part in my work, even if they are not evident in the final paintings.

How did you start making art? When did you start?

I realized I was obsessed with art when I was about seven and have a distinct memory of being in a class at school and drawing a swan (which I was immensely proud of at the time!).   My work has progressed and changed over the years and there are many reasons I make art.  One that springs to mind though is the action of creating something in the world that is impossible to copy, a one-off piece of something magical impossible to replicate, particularly in an age of internet and multiplicity.

It was such a pleasure to discover Felicity’s art and connect with her via social media.c  To have the opportunity to get a glimpse into the life of an artist and their process in the U.K., is part of the beauty of discovery in the digital age.

For more of Felicity’s work please visit her website at;

http://felicitykeefe.com/