Wendy Brooke-Smith

Wendy Brooke-Smith lives near Harwich and trained in Ipswich, graduating in Fine Art from the University of Suffolk in 2008.  Her paintings respond to energy and transience in the landscape: rural, coastal and urban. She lives within distant view of the cranes of Felixstowe, and has long been drawn to their incongruous animism on the horizon.  Early work was driven by the demolition and redevelopment of Ipswich Waterfront during her degree, and the urban landscape continues to be an important aspect of her practice.

Wendy’s paintings evolve from initial observational drawings, developed in the studio as larger charcoals before becoming the final acrylic or oil paintings.  She says ‘I love working on a large scale where the physical movement of applying paint introduces energy and incidental gesture.  I may set out with a clear intention from my drawings, but the best results arrive with the accidents and surprises of the paint itself.....Resolving a painting is usually a process of finding answers to questions: Why this? Why now? Which colours where? - and ultimately, So what?  If a photograph would do, why paint?  So the narrative matters, and the interplay of colour and composition ... but mostly it’s a question of personal interpretation and digging deep.’

In recent years, an important theme in Wendy’s work has been the Thames, particularly in London, where the river’s timeless quality contrasts the ephemeral skyline of the surrounding city. Wendy has exhibited widely in East Anglia and London.  She has held several successful solo shows in London over the last decade and her work is held in private and corporate collections throughout the UK.
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View a selection of Wendy’s works below ↓