There is no singular answer as to what painting is today. This spirit medium fluctuates in non-linear time, allowing for multiple and opposing conditions to exist on and outside the canvas surface.

I find this deeply fascinating and have been invested in its dialectical process of making for many years. Seemingly cordoned off and self-contained painting calls upon the viewer, in what Barry Schwabsky describes, to become an ‘interactive co-extender ‘of the work. My work draws upon paintings extensive historical pool and conspires to expand, subvert and create new visual interpretations, presenting the viewer with a rich experiential encounter.

The performative nature of mark-making, where touch and the handmade link like a shadow become inevitably tied to human presence. I make intimate, richly layered abstract painting interventions. When colour and touch align, the work becomes a poetic dialogue on the nature of identity.

ArtConnect asked the winning artists to share with us a glimpse into their creative life to get a sense of their personal inspiration and artistic process.

What are some of the central themes you pursue in your work?

The pace and delivery of the mark are absolutely essential to the success at each stage of the creation of the work and how it will develop. I read into the history of the gesture of the mark often in a self-conscious way. By this I mean that the painting isn’t just about producing an artwork in itself, but it is also about the representation of an idea of what painting is. It’s an inverted often circuitous process. I produce abstract figurative images which simultaneously evoke and obscure. This ambiguity is essential to prompt and engage the viewer to recognise something at once familiar and yet strange.

How has your art practice developed over time?

I always drew as a child and would swap my sketches for sweets when out playing hopscotch or skipping with friends. We had a fantastic art department at secondary school; it was an oasis away from what was being played out on the streets in Belfast at the time during the 70s. The teachers there were artists also, and they taught by example, often sitting down to produce their own work. As a result I picked up some tricks; observing and developing my own art alongside them. I put together a portfolio and was accepted into Camberwell Art College in London.

What drew you to work with your medium/media of choice?

I have several works on the go at any one time. I like painting in groups of six works of similar size. Then an acrylic gesso ground is laid on fine linen. There is tremendous freedom when opening up a painting to deliver the first mark. After an incubation period of shifting marks and nudging things forward; connections are made and I start editing and focus on selected work. Risk taking is where real work begins; the space that Heiner Müller called ‘the vicinity of mistakes'. The marks or events in the painting are lain down as a series of jolts which conspire together to form the space of the painting. The work of letting go in order that something may surface. This can happen immediately or is labored where the work is scrapped back and rebuilt; it can be quite a physical process.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an artist?

Maintaining continuity in my studio practice has been a burden for me and my family especially through times of financial uncertainty. Good painting demands a considerable amount of time and commitment in order to execute substantial work, this needs real support. The pandemic has created several problems from exhibition closures to no audience and has also effected sales.

What does your creative process look like?

Not one day in the studio is the same as the next. Making abstract paintings is full of surprises, its unpredictability keeps me on my toes, which I love. I trust & enjoy in the process which I’ve built up over the years; the trials that can be hard fought but which make the reward even more special. I love getting the paintings out there in front of people – that engagement is where the process comes full circle, and magic happens.

Describe a typical day in the studio/wherever you make your work.

I cycle through the city to my studio; the journey takes 15 minutes and helps me prepare for the work ahead. I arrive around 10 am and typically spend 5 - 7hrs there each session, the administrative work happens at home in the evening. I like listening to music or podcasts which helps create a matter of fact atmosphere while working. Then I sort through surfaces or hang paintings on the wall which require attention. I start mixing paint and begin, at this point the music falls away, and I get into the real concentrated process of working. I usually have a break after 2 hours and assess what I’ve produced and continue editing and grouping the work. Some work I leave aside which needs time to dry before cleaning up for the following day.

What are you currently working on or what's next?

Returning to working on a large scale format and the introduction of a heighten colour palette is opening up exciting possibilities within my painting practice. I’m also excited by the obvious confidence in the painting medium at present and envisage several opportunities to show and sell my work internationally. I’m intrigued by the attention my work is getting on social media and happy to develop new connections and have conversations with the array of talent and support out there.

How does it feel to be selected as an ArtConnect Artist to Watch?

This recognition is just wonderful and gives me a sense of validation that my hard work and effort have been worthwhile. There is so much talent out there and being given a platform to present my practice which will be seen and enjoyed by more people is great.

See more of Sinéad Aldridge’s work

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