Artist

Tessa Houghton

Tessa paints a serene experience, the landscapes she interprets appear unearthly and exquisite. Taking inspiration from her surroundings of the Catalonian coast, the Pyrenees and conversely the moorlands of northern England, the delicacy of her work unites each subject.
Oil paint, occasionally acrylics and other mediums are applied in a variety of methods so that intense layers of texture contrast with areas of smooth subtlety. Whilst light and depth are key components, colour and form are simplified to capture the true essence of the subject matter.

“Ever since I can remember I have always scribbled, sketched and painted. I went on to study Fine Art at Liverpool John Moores University and after completing my degree moved back to Lancashire for a short time. In 2000 I moved to Barcelona and began to paint the sea. I would describe my work as semi abstract and mainly focused on natural landscapes.

“I try to capture and translate a mood within my work based on limitless horizons and the ethereal qualities of light affecting landscapes and seascapes. I believe in the power of suggestion and my paintings tend to hover between abstraction and figuration. The resulting images are ambiguous rather than definitive. I like the idea that they will trigger a memory or a sensation by being recognisable or familiar in some way and the final interpretation is left open to the viewer. Each painting offers a different perspective and possibility; sometimes dramatic, other times hazy and subdued. The viewer is invited to respond and react to them individually.