Artist’s Statement:

Juliet West is a painter inspired by the Purbeck coastline. Her mixed media on canvas work captures the area in both abstract and representational ways. Having gained a BA hons in Fine Art from Surrey Institute of Art and Design she has gone on to become an art teacher, illustrator and mother to three children. She says of her work, “I aim to produce art that although recognisable, has an element of the abstract and the hand crafted. I use metal leaf on my work to create reflections which change with the light, just like the landscape and it imbues the sense of preciousness that I associate with this area. My use of texture on the canvas gives a 3D relief to the surface so that you can touch the textures in the work, feel the craggy cliffs; the seafoam; the rocks. I think in a time where technology can produce an abundance of photographic imagery of places, a painting needs to go further than pure representation. It needs to excite other senses; to evoke a feeling of the place. I hope my work goes some way to achieving this.”