Lesley Thiel
Beauty has the power to evoke powerful emotions within us. Beauty takes our breath away, fills us with awe and a desire to be with that which inspires our rush of feelings. A beautiful painting has the ability to transform us and to open us up to our surroundings and is food for the soul. It also calls us to examine more closely and to become aware of things we might not otherwise observe.
Within my paintings, I am trying to capture beauty, regardless of the subject. It is my belief that almost any subject can appear beautiful at certain moments. Using dramatic lighting and subjects in motion, I try to create paintings that speak to those special emotions. I aim for works that appear spontaneous in their composition, as if they were capturing a fleeting event and my subjects were about to depart the canvas.
My paintings are meticulously planned. Having studied extensively the works of painters from the past, I adhere to time honoured methods of composition to place my subjects harmoniously on the canvas. Each work is the result of many hours of painstaking work, using tiny brushes in an attempt to create paintings that will appear to leap off the canvas. As my work has evolved I have adopted techniques, such as using broken colour, in order to accentuate a feeling of movement.
Most of my pieces are of horses, but I do not consider myself an equestrian artist. Rather, I am a portraitist and consider everything I paint, from Andalusian to anvil, from person to pet, to be worthy of the same level of interest and attention. My greatest joy is to face the challenges of evolving my work, as I strive to capture beauty in my paintings.
Lesley Thiel, painter
Belgravia Gallery is displaying paintings by Lesley Thiel throughout the month of October, 2013. For more information contact us