"Crowds in City landscapes have been the subject and inspiration for many of my paintings. London in particular has always fascinated me from my time spent working there and living City life. I loved watching the crowds and the blur of people mingling together. The sheer speed of modern life lived in a landscape, shaped by the wonderful architecture of the City. I often use very little colour, other than to pick out a few features sometimes, like umbrellas, or faces or glints of light. It could be winter on the streets in some paintings, or early morning sunlight in others. Using oil and applying the paint with brushes and rags, I work the paint across the surface of the canvas, leaving surface traces of physical movement and energy. I make marks, that when viewed separately look undistinguishable but then collectively, because of their relationship to each other, are identifiable as being figurative. Stepping up close to the canvas the brush strokes seem almost abstract, but when you step backwards the world becomes recognisable again." Karen Brighton
