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Jane Andrews

I'm often asked what my paintings are about. I think, broadly, the work deals with character, identity and survival strategies. They are my attempt to understand, interpret and express 'reality' as I grapple with it, consciously and unconsciously, while intellect plays its part, I rely more on instinct than reason.
 
The paintings evolve organically. I try not to work directly from an idea, as this lends itself to illustration, but rather approach the work from the side; the more arbitrary the starting point, the more authority is given to the painting.  I steal from anywhere; and inspiration has come from a snatched conversation, a photo in the paper, or a drape from a Caravaggio.
Once a starting point has emerged, a dialogue begins and the painting clicks into action and takes on a life of its own.  I love working on large canvases, where there is room for invention, and small canvases, where throwaway one-liners can develop a new line of inquiry.