Soraya French
African Landscape, mixed media on Saunders Waterford paper 300lb, 20 × 20in (51 × 51cm).
Apainting can be regarded as expressive when the authentic emotional connection between the painter and his subject resonates with the viewer, regardless of genre, medium or subject matter. However, in this article, expressive means lively and painterly in style. There is nothing timid or tentative in the process of making an expressive artwork, it excites and provokes an emotional response. This kind of painting sometimes happens quickly and spontaneously out of sheer desperation, or under immense pressure, which cannot be artificially created but should genuinely be there. At other times it goes through stages of construction, deconstruction and reconstruction. There is always an element of risk taking in its creation, and it certainly cannot be called safe. However, with practice and determination it is possible to move towards this more painterly approach.