Tara Leaver

THROUGH THE EYES OF

TREVOR THORNE

Firstly, tell us about your chosen location and why it inspires you... I walk from Penzance to Newlyn and back nearly every day and Mounts Bay always inspires me. The fleeting changes to the sea and sky, the art deco architecture of the Jubilee Pool, the fishing port of Newlyn, and the grandeur and majesty of St Michaels Mount.

When painting your location, is there anything that really catches your eye that you enjoy focusing on? My work tends to concentrate on the coastline and fishing industry of Cornwall, so it depends on which I am focusing at the time. I love the trawlers and paraphernalia associated with fishing in Newlyn, and the wide-open expanse of Mounts Bay.

Describe the sounds, smells and feelings you experience in your location... I love all of the sounds and smells of the sea, whether it is lapping on the shore or the crashing against it. I feel privileged to wake up each morning and pull the curtains to reveal its latest mood.

What colours do you like to use when painting your location? I mix nearly all my colours from the three primaries and white. I rarely use colours straight from the tube or black.

When painting/practicing ‘en plein air’, what do you think about and what are your processes when painting this way? Working en plein air for me is about scale, the temporal nature of life and our individual insignificance in the overall scheme of things. Yet, collectively I reflect that humankind is destroying the planet and its beauty all around us. I tend to mostly sketch using watercolours or pastels when working en plein air.

What challenges do you face when conveying your location onto canvas? Timidity, knowing when to stop, and being prepared to risk everything to achieve something better.

Finally, what do you love most about your location? Being at the end of the line, as far west from ‘the smoke’ as I can be!

Trevor Thorne, Jupiter Gallery, 3 Chywoone Hill, Newlyn,TR18 5HQ

M: 07585 792329 E: trevor.thorne@sky.com @trevorthorneart