“Quite often I paint things that remind me of something else; a memory, a feeling, a scene - real or imagined. The initial pull of a subject isn’t always clear, sometimes I work it out along the way, other times not. But always the subject or idea will have resonated first in an emotional way, and this is the starting point, with the formal and visual coming along close behind. 

Why realism?  In search for truth and authenticity; to create a sense of order and control; or to construct a protective screen? I don’t know, a combination maybe. The paintings feel something like a lens, to be viewed through, an expression of outer and inner worlds, nuanced, layered, complex.

Part hyper-real, part gestural, the dialogue between image and surface can create tension, and ambiguity. I like the potential of paint to transform and transport, the alchemy of paint, the rhythm of the brushstrokes, the flow and lyricism of the forms, built up in layers.

The subjects are unassuming: a puddle, a patch of grass; everydayness evoking time, memory, experience. Hopefully these are collective and inclusive, creating a sense of familiarity, and maybe sometimes the comfort of nostalgia.”

Kate Sherman, 2023