Aekbote, Katarzyna

 I long to be in the open. 

And my work practice adjusted to that need. Whether my local hills, heathland and moors of Ashdown Forest or frequently visited coast, I love it all and feel more at home within the natural environment than at any confinement of walls. That is the reason my paintings are either plein air or at least based on previously painted plein air sketches. 

When I paint plein air I feel the energy of the natural world with all my senses. The wind on my face, the temperature of the air, the sounds of buzzing insects or swaying grass, the constant movement and energy make me feel connected to the nature and that very moment in time, and become one with nature, be part of it, welcomed and accepted. The energy that I receive transforms itself to energetic brushstrokes, painted with a sense of urgency or even impatience. Painting outside is almost like play game with nature – trying to catch that energy, to chase that wind, that movement, that constantly changing light and translate it into my own language of colour and marks. That feel of urgency in painting is also caused by this great excitement of being among the nature, and it never fails. 

I studied fine art at Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium and at Metropolitan University in London, UK. 

Instagram.com: @kateaekbote