I have painted for as long as I can remember and have, over the years, painted in many different ways according to where I have been on my life's journey, my interests and my enthusiasms. I was born and brought up the West Midlands and was always fortunate in being surrounded by loving and encouraging parents and friends. Going to concerts in Birmingham Town Hall and revelling in the glorious sounds of our 'local' composer, Elgar was a great joy to me...as was my first experience of Stravinsky when I was about 12. I was a real film fanatic too, going to the cinema every week. I remember going to see 'Lawrence of Arabia' when I was 10 and then pestering my parents to go and see it again....and again ! I was so mesmerised by the sights, sounds and the sweep of the landscapes. Looking back, I think it was the feeling and sensations of travelling to wonderful and faraway places, far beyond being actually able to travel there, that drew me to the large, darkened, smoke filled and very magical auditoriums. The Icy barrenness of the Antarctic, the steaming jungles of Burma, the frozen wastes of Russia, the dusty redness of the American West...I visited them all, clutching my popcorn and orange soft drink! Through films, especially those made by David Lean, I was an avid and passionate world traveller long before I actually went anywhere more exotic than my local park. It was through film that I began to love how to compose paintings...the positioning of elements and the use of colour have come directly from watching how directors have composed their shots. Music has also been a great passion for me and has always inspired me to be creative, either directly by composing music or indirectly by helping me decide on the feel and colour of a visual piece of work. I often play music whilst painting to help the energy flow.

I think I have a bit of the gypsy in my personality as I love travelling, going for long walks, cycling and being in nature. I think I must have been a travelling nomad in a previous life too...and very happy about it! Landscape inspires my work constantly, whether it's the deserts of Arizona, the lushness of Hawaii or the amazing scenery of Britain...I am always in awe of the variety and richness that is so close to us here. I remember a few years ago travelling from Dorset on the south coast to the northern most tip of Scotland and being constantly amazed by the change in the landscape...within only a few miles ! Switzerland is another place I am drawn back to again and again for inspiration...from the ruggedness of its mountains to the tranquility of its lakes and forests. I also met my wonderful and inspiring partner Deborah there, so have an especially good reason to be truly thankful to that beautiful country and what it has given to me.

Picasso has been a hero of mine ever since I discovered art as a teenager. I love the way he paints and the way his style changed during his lifetime, never afraid to try new things and inject new life into his work. There is a wonderful film about him called 'Surviving Picasso' in which the character, played wonderfully by Anthony Hopkins, sarcastically says 'artists bake cakes, and then they make a cake mould...and then they just bake the same cake over and over again' ...It's important to be consistent, but it's also extremely important to be vigilant about one's own creative output and to recognise changes that need to happen to keep one's own creative energy, enthusiasm and passion alive.
I have always enjoyed the feel of the brush on canvas or wood and have always tried to convey the excitement I feel when engaged on a piece of creative work. I'm also never afraid to radically alter my approach if the subject demands it...good old Picasso ...his words often ring in my head !
As far as medium is concerned, I particularly enjoy working in acrylic for it's speed of drying ( even though that particular quality can be a real pain ! ) but having said that, I have worked in oil a great deal too. It's all dependent on the subject matter and the quality of finish I want. I'm also very excited using mixed media when I am doing more abstract, more 'surface orientated' work...sometimes piling on the structure gel, laying on pearlescent paint, adding glitter and working with gold leaf...bling bling sometimes get the better of me but I have such a great time experimenting ! I think if I was to give advice to any creative person, it would be not to take one's self too seriously, to lighten up and above all, to have lots of fun doing what they do....or why bother at all ! Creativity is hard work, no doubt about that, but if it is not infused with the essence of life and life energy it lies dead on the canvas. Paintings should live and hopefully, impart some of that life energy to the person viewing it.

My most recent work : Cityscapes - Venice/London - a brief statement :

I have recently been intrigued and fascinated by the dynamic intensity of lines and forms to be found in cities. The way that a mass of windows and juxtapositioned buildings can vibrate against one another in exciting and unusual ways. I had been primarily been interested in colour and form up to this point, but recent visits to these two magical and wonderful cities opened my eyes to a wealth of possibilities of focusing on line as being a powerfully expressive, energetic and compelling way to visually describe and transcribe the latent energy inherent in those two cities. The addition of mostly flat and uncomplicated skies adds contrast and complements the whole. I am continuing to pursue this theme.

I hope you enjoy looking at the images on my site even though art work on the web can give only an indication of what the real thing looks like.

© 2011 The copyright for all images on this site is the property of Phillip Bissell. All rights reserved.