Realistic Fantasies

It was Van Gogh who said “I dream my painting and I paint my dream.” You would be forgiven for thinking that Elise Macdonald’s magical paintings are the result of something she dreams about, but they are in fact a combination of her own photos and other references which are put together and tweaked using Photoshop. “My aim is to paint fantasy realistically. Sometimes I’ll have an idea and I’ll scout out photographic references that I can use. Other times I come across an image that sparks an idea. Although I belong to ‘the generation of limited computer skills’ the computer has become an essential part of my process. I photoshop my ideas - juxtaposing images, changing backgrounds, introducing new elements, manipulating colours, refining the composition.... this is where I get to play ‘make believe’ - imagining and creating strange and wonderful scenarios. It is my favourite part though it can bring out the obsessive/compulsive side of my nature - I can’t stop until I get what I’m looking for. I carry on evolving the narrative by shifting things around until it feels right and makes some kind of sense to me. I’m slow. A painting takes about a month to complete - if all goes well.”