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Dream No.5 -
Dream No.7
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Dream No.9
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Walking Dream 1
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Walking Dream 2
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Walking Dream 3
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Walking Dream 4
Being in amongst the trees is a sensory experience, full of colour, translucency and flickering light. I am interested in sensing this vital energy, trying to turn it into paintings. The paintings are light and spare, the primed linen is kept open in places, uncovered, as with a drawing where the paper surface is white and clear of marks letting the light in.
Maggie James (born 1956) trained at Cardiff College of Art (Foundation Arts & Design), Newcastle upon Tyne Polytechnic (BA Hons, Fina Art) and the Royal College of Art, London (MA Painting) She has exhibited widely and has work in private collections in UK, USA, China and Australia.
Maggie’s depiction of the landscape is constantly in motion. Elements shift and evolve. Whether walking or driving, fragments from the past linger alongside fleeting glimpses of what lies ahead. The act of scanning the landscape, whether with one’s eyes or a device, invites careful observation. It is a process of checking, often glancing in mirrors, to witness the subtle interplay between what has been and what is yet to come.
The landscape is not merely a physical space; it takes on a metaphysical quality, rich with visual cues and symbolic abbreviations. Repetition of forms, rhythms, and varied surfaces contribute to its layered complexity. This metaphysical space prompts reflection and invites interpretation, offering a tapestry woven from both tangible features and abstract patterns.
In 2024 Professor Graham Crowley noted in relation to Maggie James painting, ‘… here there is something of the precision of mind that drives the very spare, very reduced very minimal sort of paint handling… it has the kind of idea that light has intruded into the composition, but its not that clear where its come from.’
Recent creative work take the form of paintings and drawings inspired by journeys. Each piece reflects the ongoing movement and multifaceted nature of the landscape.