Artist’s Statement

“Above all the paint must be alive”

AIMS:

My aims are simple: realism is not enough. I want to paint as intensely and expressively as possible.

APPROACH:

When painting  I look for accidents and random events which can make the painted surface more evocative and exciting. It is through these chance events that deeper meanings can reveal themselves and a painting can come to mean more than expected. For me a painting cannot really come to life without these chance events.

BACKGROUND:

After originally working as a musician, I studied History and Art History at university but found painting to be more interesting. I started by copying 17th century Dutch painting as illustrated but have changed greatly since then, first turning to watercolour. Since 2000 I have painted almost entirely in oil and acrylic.

Stephen J. Foster copy of 17th c. Dutch painting

 © Stephen J Foster