John Lacey: The Landscape Beckons

South Australian artist John Lacey has been painting professionally since 2004. It was at this time he changed medium to oil, this was after painting impressionistic landscapes in watercolour and acrylic for the previous 20 years.

The change to oil has seen him win numerous art prizes including the coveted Corporate Prize at the Victor Harbor Rotary Exhibition 2007.

“My work is not only inspired by the landscape, but by how I interpret it, and I feel this is the essence of why I want to paint. I often use obvious elements from the scene to build my expression around.

This is achieved from sketches and quick oil studies, which are totally disposable and have passages of inspiration that may be used in the final work.

A scene has to initially inspire and at times it may dominate although simplified into line and marks of various tone and colour. I love when I can let go, as the painting begins to develop and speaks to me. This is when inspiration and enjoyment of expression is at its strongest and that each abstract line and mark are relative to the other and the initial vista is only the vehicle for the beginning.” – John Lacey