ABOUT

A Creative Path

Abstract Art

Abstract Painting – The beginnings

Painting has been an ongoing passion since an early age. S’Bath’s first inspirations included the Art Nouveau, and, as a result, during the early years of her studies at the Academy the artist she was criticised for her “too beautiful and feminine” artwork and encouraged to produce ‘darker’, more ‘masculine’ works of art. While she rejected the idea of ‘dark art’, the artist’s stylistic explorations turned towards large-scale American expressionist style of the 20th C as well as the dynamics of the European Avant-garde. She developed her very own, striking yet personal compositional narratives in a dynamic approach that fitted well with musical inspirations. Technical experimentation was also important resulting in her first major series of paintings, ‘The Window‘, that received recognition in the form of several solo exhibitions. The following series of paintings in the early 1990s was The ‘Elements‘. Both series were exhibited in varios countries in Europe and the US and several pieces were acquired by private collections. Only a hand full of these paintings remains in the artist’s collection including ‘Summer on the Beach‘ (1991) and ‘The Window and the Rain‘ (1990). 

‘The Window – III.’ (1992) ‘The Window‘ series, anilin and oil on canvas, 170×150 cm, in private collection, California, US

Abstract Drawings

The original ‘Window‘ series also included twenty abstract drawings created in in charcoal, pencil and pastels. 

The artist returned to abstract drawing in the 2020s as a base for her new, structured oil pastel paintings. Other, figurative style drawings created in the 1990s included portraits. 

Abstract Photography

Alongside abstract paintings in the early 1990s the artist created a series of hand printed by the artist abstract photographs, ‘The Magic Breakfast’, that subsequently was awarded 1st prize in a national photography competition. This series is in the artist private collection.

The Magic Breakfast (Mirror), b/w hand printed photograph, 1990

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Semi-Abstract Paintings

The artist’s move to London in the 1990s initiated a new stylistic period characterised by semi-abstract and figurative paintings inspired by Art Nouveau. The colour scheme of paintings became more unified and subtle. Several large scale paintings were painted on paper board with water based colours and pastels in blue hues creating the effect of un-earthy transcendence. This period in the artist’s artwork can be summed up as ‘The Blue Period‘.

Blue Madonna‘, acrylic and pastel on board, app. 170×60 cm, in private collection, England

Many paintings of the ‘Blue Period’ were acquired by private collectors in England. One of the pieces from the Blue Period, entitled ‘The Family’ (1995, acrylic and pastel on paper, app. 180×150 cm), was acquired by the ‘Wessex Art Collection‘. 

Semi-Abstract photography

The semi-abstract photography of the artist in the 1990s became a basis for the artist’s later screen-printed work.

Printing, Enamelling and Stained Glass

Moving to to the West Country meant new artistic influences and opportunities for technical experimentation. While she continued to paint, the artist also joined the stained glass, enamelling and printmaking workshops at the Academy of the West of England. With the craftmanship acquired and technical support provided by the studios several series of screen-printed originals were created.

Semi-Abstract Handmade Prints

The first amongst the handprinted series, ‘Orlando‘, was inspired by notion of time. The passage and meaning of time and every aspect of it, poetic, social and physical became the focus of the artist’s attention. The series was exhibited at the British National Print Exhibition in 2000 by the Spike Island Studios in Bristol and subsequently internationally. 

Orlando III. 1998

Semi-Abstract Stained Glass

Several stained glass pieces were created by the artist, abstract, figurative and some portraits: all of those are in private collectors. 

Semi-Abstract Enamel Paintings and Prints

Working with the technique of enamelling, several new, smaller scale, more intimate series of miniature paintings emerged. The ‘Magic Winter‘ and the ‘Spirit‘ series were painted with enamel paint fired onto 10×10 cm pieces of metal.

‘Magic Winter = I.’, enamel on metal, 10×10 cm, 2000

Symbolic Paintings

Paintings of this period are characterised by being smaller size and becoming increasingly symbolic, focusing on spiritual subjects, as for instance the pastel Madonna of the North (2007)

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Digital Art, Videos and Ink-jet Prints

With the new Millenium digital and video-art emerged as the novel trends of the 2000s. The artist met the digital era by creating video-art and digital images, and later several series of digital ink-jet prints. These artworks screened and exhibited locally and internationally.

Digital Art

The first of the digital series is dedicated to the Botanical Gardens (2004) – a poetic tribute to the life of plants.

‘Dreaming‘, Botanical Garden’ series digital image, JVC camera, 2004

Ink-jet Prints

The ‘Botanical Garden’ series was followed by a series of bold ink-jet print cityscapes, such as the ‘Midnight Sun‘ (2005-2007) and also a series of video-art. 

Symbolic Art

Symbolic Painting

In 2008 the St. Georges Fine Art Gallery asked the artist to create a large-scale solo exhibition entitled Metamorphosis with both retrospective and present day artwork of the artist.

‘Metamorphosis‘, acrylic on canvas, app. 40×70 cm, 2008

Symbolic Drawings

Portrait of a Young Girl, pastel on paper, 2007

In the 2010s the artist travelled to Latin America to study the meanings and forms of both religious and secular symbolic art and, as a result, a series of symbolic art emerged.

Nature Paintings

Landscape Paintings

In the mid 2010s a series of paintings were commissioned by the Royal Art Collection from the artist to be exhibited in Dubai on the theme of the Gardens of Paradise. 

‘Azazil‘, ‘The Gardens of Paradise‘, oil on canvas, app. 60x30cm, 2003

The Park at Dawn‘, acrylic on canvas, app. 120×110 cm, 2019

Flower Paintings

The artist created a so far unexhibited, private series of paintings ‘Midnight Flowers’. 

Musical Flowers, mixed media on canvas, app. 40 x60 cm, 2012

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New Abstract Paintings

Abstract Landscapes

The forced limitation on travel and periodic lockdowns in the 2019-2021 Pandemic created a unique opportunity for the revival of nature observation. The style of painting eases up, it is fresh, almost sketch-like. Colours are saturated, bright and images are luminescent with life giving light.

Through the Leaves up to the Sky, acrylic on canvas, app. 90×60 cm, 2021

Abstract Cityscapes

In the 2020s photographic and ink-jet artwork of cityscapes gives way to abstract paintings and drawings that capture moments, sensations, feelings, moods instead of representative views. 

Two Suns, mixed media on paper, app. 70×50 cm, 2018

 

 

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@ KJ S’Bath, this website and pages, all contents and all other rights reserved to the artist