Shirley Trevena
Biography
Shirley Trevena was born in Brixton, London, in 1940 and now lives in Shoreham-by-Sea. She has had no formal art education. Her exhibitions include international watercolour exhibitions and festivals in Belgium, France, China and Russia, as well as annual exhibitions with the Sussex Watercolour Society. She has also run painting workshops in Tuscany, France, Sussex, Yorkshire and London. Her awards include the John Blockley Prize, the Llewellyn Prize and the Winsor & Newton Award, which she won twice.
Artist Statement
My still life compositions suggest forms that never quite materialise, with vibrant colours, shapes and patterns sometimes breaking away from reality. Throughout my artistic career, I have tried to push the boundaries of watercolour, creating powerful combinations of colour equal to any medium.
For my still life paintings, I carefully set up the objects, sometimes taking a whole day to ensure I have all the information I need before beginning. This means I have no need for a preliminary drawing and can paint directly onto the paper, keeping my marks fluid and loose. I use various brushes, sticks, pens, graphite pencils and favourite bits and pieces to create texture. I like to use large tubes of watercolour paint to achieve maximum colour, and still get a thrill from squeezing a new tube of Cadmium Orange onto a plate. I work on one painting at a time, which can take two to three weeks to complete. The freedom to choose my own objects and colours is crucial to my work.