Alison Joy Webster/Dunford Artist's Statement

As a child, when I discovered paints and a brush, I was in heaven. The act of painting for me was almost therapeutic. I remember coming home from school, after I had discovered this activity, and I would fill a container with water, and with a nice sized house-painting brush, I would proceed to "paint" the roof of the dog house. The water would create a wonderful "wet paint" effect on the bright green roof. This activity soothed my soul! It was as if my soul was telling me in a very clear way what my purpose was in my life....Colour is my passion.
So you mix colour and painting and you get....the artist as a painter!

Being born in a place like Barbados, with its brilliant sunlight, surrounded by oceans of heavenly hue....topped by skies of truly heavenly hue, and you can begin to have a glimpse of who I am, a little of what makes me tick, and a sense of what my purpose might be! Nature is a feast for the senses, and a school for learning everything we need to know.

As I paint and react to my environment and my emotions, I feel that this is just a starting point for the bigger things to come. I feel that part of my purpose is to change the world....each painting creates "a place for the viewer to go". My work is about beauty, and light. I want to lift the soul of the viewer....I want to reach the inner essence of the viewer so that they may feel the joy. I see each painting I make to be like a candle in the darkness....'You in your small corner and me in mine'. Every little flame makes the world a brighter place....just as the oceans create the smooth rocks and incredible coastlines....so each painting I make can change the world.
This is my desire.

I love to paint on many scales. I love the intimacy of watercolour, and the detail which can be used, and opposing that with the freedom and open, loose approach when you use the "wet-on-wet" technique. I love the simplicity and the complexity that watercolours demand.
I love to paint large murals....I find the scale exciting and enjoy the challenge. Of course when I paint in this format I use Latex "house paint".