Ria Poole
Ria Poole is an expressive plein air painter working in West Cornwall, inspired by its turquoise shores, rugged coastline and vibrant artistic community. She paints outdoors in all weathers, sometimes in hard to reach coastal locations to enable her to capture the most interesting perspectives. Her paintings have been shortlisted for various art prizes including Artists & Illustrators 'Artists of the Year 2018' Award at Mall Galleries, London.
“A picture should be made with feeling, not with knowing” – Hans Hofmann
Whether painting en plein air or in the studio Ria works in “flow”, allowing her intuition rather than critical judgement to lead her creative practice. Rejecting a laboured, step-wise approach to painting, she feels her way through the process instinctively, letting a painting interest, absorb and challenge her as it unfolds. Always excited by experimentation, Ria’s figurative and abstract paintings embrace a range of techniques and media. She works in oils, acrylic, watercolour, collage, ink and spray paint, using a variety of tools for mark-making, such as brushes, fingers, cloth and palette knives, to creative effect. Freedom to develop and explore the visual language of paint is important to her, so that each painting is not constrained to imitate its predecessor. Celebrating colour and painterliness, Ria’s work is full of life and energy.