Fiona G. Roberts
I actually have several muses but one of the most persistent, for my landscapes at least, is the Lake District, where I was brought up on a farm. Although I’ve lived in London for many years it’s the features of that rural landscape that I return to repeatedly in my work.
Obviously the lakes, rivers, fells and woodland provide a rich source of inspiration for a painter, and it would be easy to suppose that capturing all that natural beauty on canvas is a sufficient end in itself.
But on deeper reflection it’s the people and the events that take place within an environment that have the deepest impact on us as people, and of course, as artists.
It also has to be said, that when the sun shines West Cumbria looks idyllic, but, for a lot of the time, especially on a farm, it can be a cold, harsh and unforgiving place.
Painting, in my case at least, is often instinctive and it’s interesting what comes up when you try to analyse the reasons why you paint a particular subject. I had something of a revelation fairly recently whilst discussing my painting, when I revealed that the main themes I return to in my work are joy and peace. A while later the conversation turned to someone I’m close to, who is troubled, and I was asked what, ideally, I would wish for that person. Without thinking I said joy and peace.
So, maybe my muse is not so much that beautiful landscape but actually the people who live there, and the things that I wish they could have.