IAN FRASER

ARTIST STATEMENT  " I am an ideas painter. The artistic challenge is to paint the idea that forms in my imagination, while maintaining, as the work develops, the surprise and delight that are my motivation for the painting in the first place. An "aha" moment, say, or "Where did that come from?" I paint to surprise, amuse and excite myself and the viewer

What influences me is the feel of the paint, the tones, the colours, the lusciousness and surprise of a dot of cadmium red in an area of tertiary brown.  

I paint mainly on canvas with oil paints. I love the texture of oil paints and use brushes, old socks, my finger - anything to achieve the effect that I want at that moment.

My background as a cartoonist has influenced me with an impressionistic approach, to suggest rather than literally paint something and let the viewer complete the picture.

I am influenced by other artists who surprise and motivate me with use of colour, choice of subject, composition, scale of work such as Basil Blackshaw, JB Vallely, Barrie Cooke, Francis Bacon, Cy Twombly Alberto Sughi and Roberto Ferruzzi.

I need stimulus and change. The more I change my environment, travel, look at other painters work, and read; the more ideas I have
to paint".

Paintings by Ian Fraser are in private collections in Ireland, Switzerland, England, Italy, Canada and USA.

Galleries
IrelandThe Eakin Gallery, Belfast for over three years
The Dunluce Gallery, Bushmills
The Castle Gallery, Lisburn

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