There’s something about Pride and Prejudice that I keep coming back to, not just the story, but the feeling of it. The quiet tension, the way so much is left unsaid, and the inner lives of the characters have been influencing my recent paintings.
I’m not trying to paint scenes directly from the book or recreate Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy as they are. It’s more about capturing a mood or atmosphere. I often start with simple sketches and build from there, focusing on figures that feel a bit introspective or slightly removed.
Colour has been important in this series. I’ve been using a lot of softer, muted tones (greens, browns, and darker shades) to create a kind of calm, slightly moody feeling. I’ve also been thinking about how darker colours can change the depth of a painting.
There are also some symbolic elements that appear across the works. Things like birds or objects might show up, not with one fixed meaning, but just to add another layer to the painting. I like the idea that people can interpret these in their own way.
The paintings are fairly simple in some ways, but I hope they still hold a sense of atmosphere and invite people to spend a bit of time with them.
