biography
Two Fields and a Gate
Jane Hirst artists statement
Initially a sanctuary during pandemic isolation, Jane painted in the Two Fields, left untouched for the last decade, a place reserved for nature on the northern shoulders of Dartmoor. Playing with scale, both plein air and in the studio, she has chosen to paint either, large-scale (canvas or linen) or small-scale (delicately painting on paper or linen.)
The custodian of this place has been her close friend for thirty years. This friend is in her eighties, and together they have observed the flower meadows, whilst Jane has painted, sitting on the little wooden bench and made lists of flora and fauna, drunk tea, discussed everything, through a bad bout of covid, a drought, a fire, a lightning storm that blew-out all the electrical appliances in the valley and temperatures well below zero. Her friend doesn’t have a car, but she does have a balaclava and increasingly never leaves the valley as her eyesight diminishes, and Jane's children have grown up and left home. Time has passed for both of them.
The Violet Oil Beetles crawl through the grasses and thousands of Orchids cover the Top Plat field.
Jane has kept many lists, of the flowers, birds and insects that have been a sound scape as she has painted. Yearly, arriving and departing, and written them out on light ethereal violes which were shown projected on a film of the flower meadows in a little room with the paintings surrounding the walls at the show Wild Earth, Tremenheer Gallery 2023.
In Jane's painting initially she had in mind the artwork of botanical illustrator, Keble
Martin. She pictured his tireless search throughout the county for flowers to place in his satchel with a little water pot for nourishing their stems. Jane would like to do more around Keble Martin, and has an idea to exhibit the show in Gidleigh Church, Dartmoor where he was Rector and painted his flowers.
Although her largescale paintings are not botanical illustrations she is influenced by the careful and accurate pencil mark making used to draw out plants. Then Jane paints more freely and softly with Japanese calligraphy paint brushes, full of watery oil paint.
Not really seduced by gestural emotive painting, Jane has become aware of her emotional painting state being one of a Zen philosophy of balance in nature, influenced by her husband who is a Zen Buddhist, and their visit to Japan to visit the Japanese poet Ryokan's mountain hermitage.
The small-scale paper oil paintings are influenced again by botanical studies and as such, she writes titles referring to the paintings as studies.
For her larger scale works Linen is increasingly her preferred surface choice, once gesso is applied, painting with water-based oils and oils in light brush strokes, peering closely at the flora like a botanical illustrator. Sometimes the paintings are painted growth-like from the bottom of the painting upwards.
As she paints, the scents of orange -based solvent, cold wax and water, blended create a beautiful aroma, although Jane hasn't used turpentine or white spirit, she prefers her solvents to work with. She has used rabbit skin glue but as of yet hasn't created a surface with RSG that is as nice as acrylic gesso, but she is still experimenting.
Jane Hirst is drawn to little known clutches of wilderness. This series of paintings have been in response to wildflower meadows on Dartmoor. As she has observed meadows throughout all the seasons of the year, she has found them to be a place of peaceful coexistence for creatures and animals. The frequent changes of wildflowers, the effect of sun or rain, make them into a space of beautiful impermanence. Beginning her process en-plein air, Hirst has known these spaces intimately. Working with natural materials such as oils and linseed and wood, her paintings become an extension of the natural space. The insects landing on the painted flowers, nourishing themselves on linseed oil. This series of work communicates this fragment of peace and beauty. Kate Reeve-Edwards www.culturalcapitalarts.co.uk
Jane Hirst artists statement
Initially a sanctuary during pandemic isolation, Jane painted in the Two Fields, left untouched for the last decade, a place reserved for nature on the northern shoulders of Dartmoor. Playing with scale, both plein air and in the studio, she has chosen to paint either, large-scale (canvas or linen) or small-scale (delicately painting on paper or linen.)
The custodian of this place has been her close friend for thirty years. This friend is in her eighties, and together they have observed the flower meadows, whilst Jane has painted, sitting on the little wooden bench and made lists of flora and fauna, drunk tea, discussed everything, through a bad bout of covid, a drought, a fire, a lightning storm that blew-out all the electrical appliances in the valley and temperatures well below zero. Her friend doesn’t have a car, but she does have a balaclava and increasingly never leaves the valley as her eyesight diminishes, and Jane's children have grown up and left home. Time has passed for both of them.
The Violet Oil Beetles crawl through the grasses and thousands of Orchids cover the Top Plat field.
Jane has kept many lists, of the flowers, birds and insects that have been a sound scape as she has painted. Yearly, arriving and departing, and written them out on light ethereal violes which were shown projected on a film of the flower meadows in a little room with the paintings surrounding the walls at the show Wild Earth, Tremenheer Gallery 2023.
In Jane's painting initially she had in mind the artwork of botanical illustrator, Keble
Martin. She pictured his tireless search throughout the county for flowers to place in his satchel with a little water pot for nourishing their stems. Jane would like to do more around Keble Martin, and has an idea to exhibit the show in Gidleigh Church, Dartmoor where he was Rector and painted his flowers.
Although her largescale paintings are not botanical illustrations she is influenced by the careful and accurate pencil mark making used to draw out plants. Then Jane paints more freely and softly with Japanese calligraphy paint brushes, full of watery oil paint.
Not really seduced by gestural emotive painting, Jane has become aware of her emotional painting state being one of a Zen philosophy of balance in nature, influenced by her husband who is a Zen Buddhist, and their visit to Japan to visit the Japanese poet Ryokan's mountain hermitage.
The small-scale paper oil paintings are influenced again by botanical studies and as such, she writes titles referring to the paintings as studies.
For her larger scale works Linen is increasingly her preferred surface choice, once gesso is applied, painting with water-based oils and oils in light brush strokes, peering closely at the flora like a botanical illustrator. Sometimes the paintings are painted growth-like from the bottom of the painting upwards.
As she paints, the scents of orange -based solvent, cold wax and water, blended create a beautiful aroma, although Jane hasn't used turpentine or white spirit, she prefers her solvents to work with. She has used rabbit skin glue but as of yet hasn't created a surface with RSG that is as nice as acrylic gesso, but she is still experimenting.
Jane Hirst is drawn to little known clutches of wilderness. This series of paintings have been in response to wildflower meadows on Dartmoor. As she has observed meadows throughout all the seasons of the year, she has found them to be a place of peaceful coexistence for creatures and animals. The frequent changes of wildflowers, the effect of sun or rain, make them into a space of beautiful impermanence. Beginning her process en-plein air, Hirst has known these spaces intimately. Working with natural materials such as oils and linseed and wood, her paintings become an extension of the natural space. The insects landing on the painted flowers, nourishing themselves on linseed oil. This series of work communicates this fragment of peace and beauty. Kate Reeve-Edwards www.culturalcapitalarts.co.uk