'Imagine' an exhibition of prints and paintings by Nicola Slattery RBA

In my early career as an artist much inspiration was drawn from stories and mythology. Over the years my work has retained its figurative narrative elements but I think has developed a subtler, less literal approach. Whilst the narrative continues to shape ideas, the influences are more personal.

Living in the countryside, I am privileged to encounter the wonders it has to offer on a day to day basis. Chattering, swooping swallows or the nocturnal shriek of an owl in the large Oak tree outside my window, have the ability to conjure up images through sound. I see the big Norfolk skies, the tangled brambles, ponds full of lilies fruit blossom, cut corn fields and distant church spires. The environment seeps into my consciousness and meets with imagined characters and situations. Images came to mind which might be of stories not yet told. The American painter Edward Hopper once said “If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint” and I feel an affinity with his outlook. 

“Imagine” is an exhibition of my paintings and limited edition prints. Each work is a story presented through the medium of paint or print and the viewer is invited to enter the story through their imagination. There is no right or wrong interpretation. A response to a painting may often be ambiguous and change over time as life presents new experiences and insights. Ultimately I want to present positive images of an imagined humanity able to live harmoniously with its environment and fellow creatures. To misquote John Lennon: “some might say artists are dreamers, but we are not the only ones...”

'Butterfly' a collagraph print by Nicola Slattery RBA