hazel harris

 I begin a painting from a literary description.  I start with the title and then work the picture until I feel it fits the words.  I like the quirkiness of this process which seems to supply me with an endless source of imaginings. 

Acrylics are my preference medium with a growing curiosity to incorporate collage, crayon and charcoal.  This has been revealed to me through various art class instruction from notable teachers.  I’m especially grateful to Bill Porteous and Robert Burridge for their inspired mentoring.

When I began painting seriously, my chosen genre was exaggerated human forms.  These works were largely autobiographical and represented real people in fantasy settings.  I’ve developed two “Voluptuaries” series, one for my graduate show in 2000 and the second in 2014 as part of the VicWestArtQuest studio tour.

Over the last few years, I’ve developed different genres, interpreting landscapes, travel and floral images in a more abstract manner.   I am currently developing an abstract series about urban life.

I paint every day because I love it.  I'm influenced by the styles of Botero, Chagall, Jack Shadbolt and Phyllis Serota.