David Whitbread Roberts

Cornwall is a constant source of inspiration for my work with its rugged landscape, changing light and weather effects. Much of my work depicts the lakes peripheral elements, such as the trees, with glimpses of the Cornish hedges and fields, which also border it. I like to work in a spontaneous and expressive manner, employing lots of mark making and flecks of colour to create texture, light & atmosphere. A recurring theme is the play of light upon water, reflecting elements such as sky, clouds and fragments of landscape. I work directly from the landscape 'en plein air' recording imagery through sketchbook journals, large scale charcoal studies on fabriano paper and on oil sketches and then continue working back in the studio. I paint mainly with oils, however, some of my work begins as monotypes, which are then rapidly worked over with paint and inks on panel and canvas. Paintings are formed using a variety of tools; brushes, palette knives, rags and fingers to create rich textural surfaces through impasto, layering and glazes.

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