“Hello I am a full-time artist living in rural Shropshire painting and drawing almost every day. Walking, exploring and discovering with a sketchbook are central to my visual practise. I can honestly say I stumble on something surprising and noteworthy on each walk from multi-coloured beehives tucked in a corner of a field that suddenly just appeared one day to a hedgerow dotted with dog-roses that I’d not noticed before.
The noticing and the sense of wonder at the natural and man-made world are at the root of my paintings and drawings. My visual response to the landscape and nature involves expressive, painterly mark-making to establish a colour story and mood and additional layers of observational drawing explore the identity and character of places and seasons.
I am originally from The Potteries where I did my foundation course in art and design, my background is in Textile Design and I have been involved in the creative art world as an educator at various British universities, artist and designer for almost forty years.
My studio is at the top of a house that was built during the reign of Queen Anne in 1710 just before the Georgian era. As you might expect the studio has lots of exposed wooden beams sloping walls which makes a challenging space at times but it’s large and full of light. Next door is a small working farm with nine docile cows, a handful of hens and about twenty cats and hundreds of sparrows live in the eaves. With a lovely open garden space and being surrounded by fields my paintings include floral still life, greenhouses and patio imagery.
Having also lived in Edinburgh, the Scottish Borders, York, Leicester and Fife there have been many opportunities to explore the British Isles. I’ve been especially curious about places at extreme coastal edges notably the Outer Hebrides and Cornwall and if I’m taking a holiday abroad Greek islands are a firm favourite.
A deep curiosity and embracing change have been central to my artistic journey and life in general.”
PAINTING
“My paintings explore contrasts: the broad painterly sweep of sea and sky against specific drawn details of human habitation. I often search for an elevated viewpoint to observe the order and structure of the man-made within the landscape, combining contrasting approaches of fluid gestural mark making and specific drawn linear details.
View Across St ives Rooftops Over to Godrevy
“Certain landscapes I return to repeatedly inventing new ways to interpret and reinterpret the key elements that make the place special. Exploring an idea using mixed media layering and editing until I feel I have communicated the sense of a place or thing is an important part of my creative practice.”
If you have any questions about buying my work, commission ideas or would like to hear studio news or exhibition details please contact me I’d love to hear from you.
SKETCHING
“Travelling and exploring are central to my practice, I frequently visit the places I find interesting, sketching on location to deepen my visual enquiry and understanding of place. Back in the studio I reference drawings and photographs using a wide range of media on canvas, paper and gesso wooden panels to interpret a variety of subjects with a particular focus on landscape”.
EXHIBITING
Lights on in the Afternoon winner of the RSW award 2023
I have almost forty years of experience in the creative arts as full-time professional artist, freelance designer and educator. For twenty seven years I was a university lecturer teaching visual studies to textile and fashion students at degree level.
My paintings are held in private collections throughout the world including UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore and Europe. My paintings can also be found in UK hospitals bought by the Paintings in Hospital scheme.
I am represented by contemporary galleries throughout the UK.
LICENSING
My paintings have been licensed worldwide.
Clients include The National Trust, Museums and Galleries, Tall Boys, Woodmansterne Publications, Paperchase, Tracks Publishing, Paperlink, The Art Group, Phoenix Trading, Pigment Productions, Clare Maddicott Publications, Abacus, Wildcard Company, Tartan 2CV, Cancer Research, The Robertson Collection and Trader Joe's, Metcolours, Whistlefish Galleries and John Lewis.
Many more images can be viewed through my agent Yellow House Art Licensing Jane Askey
Cards for sale https://tartan2cv.com/category/artists/jane-askey/
Prints for sale https://www.tallboyprints.com/collections/jane-askey-wall-art-prints