Tessa Gaynn

Tessa Gaynn, a Londoner who trained at Byam Shaw art college..

Her work has always been inspired, as well as nourished by, her spiritual development and enquiry. In her latest work she has been exploring themes of balance and polarity starting each piece as an abstract and then combining it with a face or other realistic component and then letting the painting lead her to some kind of outcome. Her work is process driven and she approaches her paintings almost as if they are painted collages, adding various different elements and then working to find a harmonious resolution.

Of her art, she shares, “I have always loved taoism - The balance of yin and yang, the reflection in human nature, I need to express my experience of being a woman in a todays world, to explore the polarities of yin yang in myself and in my life.”

“I work in acrylic on canvas mainly, I also love using collage and mixed media. I have tended to use bold saturated colours, often using strongly complementary colours, building up layers, working intuitively, allowing for random marks and moves. My overall aim is to find a harmony between all the different elements whether they are totally abstract shapes or more recognisable things (faces/vessels etc.) Allowing the process is the most important aspect for me, and reflects the experience of living, having to juggle many different aspects and work out how to hold all these different elements in a kind of peaceful resonance. This is different for each of use, there is no right way - only your own true path.”

See more from Tessa Gaynn at http://www.tessagaynn.com