Lisa V Robinson

In the beginning, the paint is spontaneously poured and splashed onto the canvas surface, generating a fictive, abstract space in which the figurative content of the painting can be held. This initial process is a free, enjoyable moment, as a blank canvas provides endless possibilities. The surface is at its most fluid at this stage, enabling me to work quickly, and create fluent brushwork. The challenge becomes when a defined composition develops, as I still want to maintain the initial freedom of the surface and not to risk losing the composition that has already been established. The painting becomes akin to adventure, as there is no preconceived plan before I start. I paint intuitively, responding to each element I apply, sometimes the painting can take a wayward path, resulting in layered surfaces, which are then revised through scraping and over painting.

The resulting composition is rhythmic and vibrant; loops of colour, quickly executed brushstrokes, drips of diluted paint, all combine to animate the otherwise flat surface of the canvas. There is often an unfinished quality to the work, as areas of the canvas are left bare and untouched, giving the painting extra depth and room for the content to breathe.

A variety of sources influence my paintings, from music to graffiti, organic forms to shop front windows. I often produce smaller works on paper alongside my oil paintings, where these influences are analysed and translated to develop an inner vocabulary of line and form. This inbuilt dictionary of mark making can then be recalled upon automatically throughout the painting of the works on canvas.

As the paintings are developed through intuition, spontaneity and chance, no end result can be preconceived, which presents an exciting challenge.