DAPHNE ANN WILLS

It was not until 9 years ago, after a lifetime of travelling, that I finally put down roots in Scotland, and I began to feel that something which had always interested me should become a major part of my life - so I enrolled on a course in Art & Design at my local college and have been painting and studying art since that time. I completed a two year HND course in Public Art and then continued study by enrolling on a BA Design course specializing in public art. For the last three years, I have been attending the studio of a professional teaching artist, Craig McKechnie, who has taught me a great deal.

The subject matter of my paintings tends to come from my unconscious mind. Although the objects may be real enough, the interpretation is an impression of a memory. In the oil painting "Spring Meadow" the flowers, leaves and grass are not realistic but what my mind sees when I think of a spring meadow full of flowers. In "Visual Markers", I have tried to convey what I remember from a regular journey through open countryside and small villages. Trees, a power station, people on the pavement and open fields and gardens are all featured but not in a way that most people would recognize. They are in my head - which is a very strange place! Currently, I am working on a triptych of large acrylic canvasses with the recently completed Ocean Census as the subject matter.

I stretch and prime the canvas myself for a better quality result in my
work.
Daphne Ann Wills, UK