Peter Edwards personal art statement-2008

I was fortunate to spend my childhood on a dairy farm near Dartmoor. The second world war had just finished. Most people were suffering the continued privations of rationing, hard work and some appallingly bad winters; and of course, missing loved ones.

My paintings are based mainly on Dartmoor as an expression of space, mood and theatre. Dartmoor is best for drama in the winter, when the sun is low, and towards the margins of the day. The silhouettes are more striking and the colours and changes that unfold more are interesting. I am a speed watercolour painter. I paint in about four bursts of very wet flowing paint of about twelve minutes each. There is a similar time for preparation and drying between. I am not physically fit and can not draw accurately, so this technique has a big advantage. I am fortunate to have studio with north (reflected) light. All my paintings are painted with my non dominant hand for the first three sessions, commonly sideways. The paint is dripping off the paper on to the floor and the colours continue to move for about 5 minutes after the last brush stroke. This needs watching carefully for judicious board tilting.

Images of Feather Tor and the Plym Estuary