'Colours of Autumn' - an exhibition and an interview with artist Sarah Goffin...

This post should've gone up far earlier...! But there is still time to come and see this vibrant collection of new work by local artist Sarah Goffin. Her watercolours are full of light and movement and very evocative. We posed Sarah some questions to describe her work and the inspiration behind it:

Q: Your paintings evoke a sense of a great love of the natural landscape -  what is it about the Somerset countryside in particular that inspires you in your work?

A: I've lived in the area for 13yrs, love the soft rolling landscape, plenty of ancient hedgerows and woodland, the secret places and cosiness of Somerset.

Q: The wild and the woodland speak through many of your paintings, the tangled thicket, the fruited hedgerow, what are the qualities you seek most to capture in your paintings of woodland landscapes?

A: The peace when you stand still and really look at beautiful details such as crimson bramble branches, the rhythm of trees and how twigs fragment the sky, feeling enclosed and sheltered.

'Glorious Jewelled Thicket' - watercolour by Sarah Goffin

Q: There is a vibrancy and energy to your work that really brings the paintings alive - what techniques and materials do you like to use to achieve this?

A: Lots of water, lots of watercolour, some resists like gum arabic/masking fluid and paper masks when splattering colour with a toothbrush, have favourite colours for shadows and varieties of tree barks.

Q: How do you know or how do you decide when a painting is finished?

A: When I think a painting is finished I will leave it on board and prop it up so I can walk past it several times a day, then if anything seems neglected or needs adjusting I turn the board round so I can't see it for a week, to check I'm right and come to it with a refreshed eye.

Q: If you could sit and paint anywhere at all of your choosing, what landscape would you find yourself in?

A: I would love to go to Highlands and paint stormy skies.

Q: The changing seasons can be very evocative in the landscape as can the changing light and colours of dawn or twilight, do you have a favourite season or turning of the day you like to explore in paintings?

A: September and October are favourite months, also hazy summer mornings. I enjoy familiar landscape changing constantly, even when its raining.

'Ammerdown in September' - watercolour by Sarah Goffin.

 Thankyou to Sarah for agreeing to be put on the spot and giving such interesting answers! If you like what you see then hurry down to our gallery for a closer look!