Indian Summer with Jon Clayton

Twilight Edge, collaged, mixed media on board, 49x49cm, Jon Clayton

Can you explain your process of painting?

I use a range of art media and techniques – maintaining that as an art teacher for many years encouraging others to explore new methods made me open to experimenting and virtually all my work is mixed media. I also write and will often include some text in his work. The core of my process is about responding to the landscape by drawing. I like to go to places that have special meaning, where I feels a connection to the landscape. I make many rapid drawings using a mixture of, but limited art media. My drawing may incorporate marks, washes and colours that represent objects or features in the landscape or movement as well as how I feel at the time. I try not simply frame what is immediately in front of me but to respond to what grabs my attention, be it near or far away or on the edges of peripheral vision all on the same or many pieces of (usually) paper. However, my practice is evolving and changing all the time.

If on a walk, I may stop and draw at different points along the way, creating a kind of story of the journey in the landscape. These drawings are often collaged back at the studio - recomposing to create new works that give a feel of the landscape and the day - finding connections in the marks I have made.

Sometimes this is enough and these re-compositions stay in sketchbooks but others are framed as fresh, energetic work in their own right.

I refer to my drawing and recompositions or parts of them, for fresh larger artworks, - attempting to recall the marks and energy, as far as possible, as I build layers, typically on cradled wood panel or canvas. At this stage, although I continue to use inks for their intensity and other mixed media such as charcoal and oil pastel I likes to use more acrylic paint and occasionally oils in thin coats and glazes.

Your paintings are full of layers and expression - how do you know when the painting is finished?

That's always a problem but its usually when I feel there is enough depth with layers and contrast between areas - the lights sing and the darks are deep. Where I am drawn into the painting without feeling the need to mess with it. Another way of knowing is having spare old frames around the studio that you can just slot the work in to see how it looks framed.

Can you explain Indian Summer in 3 words?

Bright. Resurgent. Memory.

What does the landscape mean to you?

I love being out in a landscape. All my ideas come from being out there with senses alert as possible surrounded trying to notice as much as I can and how it makes me feel. I love to find the lines and layers when I look at a landscape and am particularly fascinated by the mix of the natural marks and textures made by the natural physical geography alongside those of humans.

Journeying, Acrylic and mixed media on mountboard, 67x67cm, Jon Clayton

The full collection of Indian Summer can be viewed here