I love to explore and share what I see in the beautiful country in which we live, and to stir memories and emotions from my artwork. It is a true privilege to show what is hidden in plain sight, when time is taken to notice and capture that moment.
I take photographs everywhere, whether at home, walking in the countryside or even exploring a city. Landscapes are a constant draw to me, as are structures, details, and ever-changing light and shadow. I do not visit locations to take a photograph at certain angle of a certain thing in a certain light, but to capture what happens at that time and place.
My journey with colour and texture carries on with my linocuts, stylising the scenes to create the desired mood.
In my work as a print creator, I use different forms of printing, imparting my photographic images onto different media to bring them to life. I enjoy how there are many choices and options to make each piece of work unique. Deciding what the piece will be used for, whether to use gloss or matte surface, and whether to use a colour or monotone scheme are just some of the decisions to be made in my process.
An alternative print method is using reduction linocut printing, which reveals its image through each layer. Stylistic decisions have to be made before each stage and I like using the logical side of my brain to construct the scene, capturing the light, texture and colours.
www.kjmatthews.co.uk @kjmatthews247