paintings of sea and sky

by

Mandy Thomson

about.

about

Me and my work

I was born and raised in Port Seton on the East Coast of Scotland, and now live and work in wonderful Dunbar, overlooking the North Sea.

As a child I was always sketching, and was particularly drawn to portraiture. The challenge of bringing a face to life will never fail to enthral me. As a result, I often open up my order book for portrait commissions.

My love of landscape painting came much later, after I moved to North Berwick in 2009: the light and multiple islands off the coast really captured my imagination. Back then, I discovered the unusual medium of pen ink and bleach, which I have developed over many years and often mix with other media such as charcoal, pastel and watercolour. I love the immediacy of working with ink, which leaves little room for error, but also lends itself to a freedom when painting. I continue to develop my ink work, alongside oil painting - my preferred medium. My method of working is very intuitive. I rarely make preparatory sketches, preferring to "find" the painting as I work, working mainly from memory and imagination, which often results in my work entering the realms of fantasy. For me, reality cannot be matched and my art is therefore creative in every sense.

I have always lived by the sea, it grounds me in my life and features highly in my paintings. I couldn't, and wouldn't, live without it. I swim in the sea regularly, which is a truly immersive experience of my home. I often say, "I'm swimming in a painting", which is how it feels to have the 360 degree experience, taking in the breathtaking sights, sounds of wildlife, the feel of the water and air on my skin - it truly brings a dimension to my art working that can't be described. There's no shortage of beaches and coastal wonders to be found where I live. Scotland has its own unique light, which changes from place to place, but there's no mistaking an East Lothian sky! There's always drama to be found when you look up and every day brings something new and exciting to work with. My aim is always to capture a memory or emotion of a time or place, a moment that made me stop and marvel at our magnificent world, through all the complexity of human emotions.

Education

Beyond high school, my art education has been both exploratory and evolutionary, and I have punctuated my learning journey with multiple courses at the Edinburgh College of Art, as well as many tutored workshops by acclaimed professional artists, including at the Edinburgh Atelier of Fine Art and the Art Academy London. The learning journey will never end.