Adrienne Kelly-Jackson
I trained and worked as a professional freelance flautist for many years before gradually turning my energies full-time towards oil painting. The journey began as an extra flute player in the Liverpool Philharmonic and sketching the second violins from the back while trying to capture the movements of the conductor. This activity of watching, listening and observing distances from the everyday allows a creative process to develop as you deal with the retained memories of the moment. The painting then takes a direction of its own. Sometimes this can take years until I feel comfortable with the work. I am lucky in that my friends and family try to speed the process up and offer constructive criticism. Sometimes you get too involved in the music and need to stand back and refresh your view in order to keep the vitality and honesty of the vision you are transposing.
With the portraits, I’ve noticed that there is an autobiographical element to them. One observes with empathy the characteristics of the sitter. It is important to get to know them first before working through sketches and photographs, settling upon a palette range of tone, and deciding how to tell the life story which is in front of you. It is a dual process which demands input from the sitter as well as complete concentration from me. The portraits have to feel like the person, not just look like them.
As Resident Artist at Theater Krefeld/Mönchengladbach, I have had the opportunity to analyse why I paint, and explore different subjects and styles. However, I still find the strongest influence is the music itself. I love the concentration and the unity coming from the musicians during rehearsals but ultimately it is the live performance which has the potential to take the musical experience to another level. Each painting should be like that concert.