Ellie Eveleigh

I first discovered my fascination with mountainous landscapes when I was around 16, during my GCSEs and early A-Levels at school in Art class. I think I derived it from my love of the fantasy genre where fantastical scale and magical, majestic lands shaped other worlds. Something about those vast, dramatic lands with almost incomprehensible scales made me want to recreate them somehow. Mountains hold a great majesty to them, and if I couldn’t see them in real life everyday like I dreamed, I would have to draw and paint them instead. I learnt that I loved the way layering blocks of colour, representing the light and shadow, built the foundations of structure in a landscape scene.

This love of light then led me to painting manmade landscapes. It’s easy to dismiss the concept of urban infrastructure – as you wouldn’t typically associate this with natural beauty. However, I had a look through the hoard of landscape photos I’d taken over the years and noticed I always captured sunsets, accompanied with the foregrounds of not just natural land and vegetation, but buildings, roads, cars, streetlights etc. The way the light danced off the variety of manmade surfaces had its own beauty. Moreover, what made these scenes special to me was that they were moments in my life – memories that evoked a warm feeling of nostalgia which I think, during current times, is something we are all experiencing. If I can recreate those moments on a canvas and make other people resonate with their similar and happy memories, then that is all the inspiration I need.

My landscape and skyscape work is done using acrylic paint on canvas, typically miniature 4”x 4” canvases, which I started painting at the beginning of 2020. There wasn’t an initial reason for painting on such a small scale, but I think that part of my choice was because we’re often used to seeing landscape artwork on big scales, so painting large-scale and detailed landscapes on a small-scale seemed like an interesting concept, as well as a challenge.

Also, I have a love for fine-line blackwork drawing. I was drawing before I could paint – it was the basis of the control and techniques needed for painting. I find great pleasure in creating highly detailed and accurate drawings using line work, be it with pin fine-liner pens or mechanical pencils. There is something so elegant about black lines on a white background. My concepts have never really followed a specific motif when it comes to drawing; it can vary from tattoo-inspired designs of portraits or objects to looser, crosshatch landscapes.

I still have to pinch myself when I see the amount of people who take the time to follow me and support me, it is honestly unbelievable and I am so grateful. I find there are only so many ways you can say thank you in writing, but genuinely, thank you. I hope my artwork brings you joy and escapism when you need it most.

Ellie Eveleigh