Gillian Skyte – portfolio

Contact the artist

07941 271444
gillianskyte[at]gmail.com

Exhibition information

I enjoy spontaneous composition inspired by the colours, textures, and patterns of our natural or man-made surroundings.  I often use edited or manipulated photographs as starting points for a composition, or it may simply be the colours of a fairground helter-skelter that have inspired a painting.  I like to experiment with different tools and materials.

 

I invariably use vibrant colours for my paintings.  I’m a big fan of colour analysis by season (which is used by image consultants to advise us on what colours to wear) – as those who have seen my 200+ autumn scarves will testify.  I enjoy the freedom and fun that abstract painting provides as you play with design, colour, form, and texture, aiming to achieve what I hope is a balanced and harmonious whole.

 

Artist information

After a career in personnel and project management in Whitehall, I escaped into extremely early retirement when we moved to Oxford 28 years ago. As a complete contrast, I did a course in Interior Design.  I quickly realised that it was the design element I enjoyed most, rather than running a business.  So I embarked on art and craft classes of all varieties, often at the Oxford Summer School where I tried everything from stained glass to painting on silk, experimental drawing to screen printing … finally deciding on painting with acrylics, or mixed media.  Over the years I have moved gradually from figurative to semi-abstraction, and now sometimes complete abstraction. 

 

Like many others I find painting a relaxing escape from the troubling world.  Having only relatively recently acquired a spare bedroom ‘studio’, in 2025 I thought that I finally had to move on from 20 years of describing myself as a beginner, and took part in my first Artweeks.  I really enjoyed it, so here I am again.