Let the paint speak to the viewer.
Understanding an artist’s journey offers a deeper appreciation of their work- the influences, choices, and personal experiences that shape their creative path.
For Len, painting is about presence. His work captures the energy of weathered landscapes and shifting skies, offering viewers not a scene, but a sensation, a felt experience of place. Rooted in traditional techniques but increasingly abstract in style, Len’s art bridges discipline with instinct, drawing influence from artists like Joan Eardley and Lewis Noble.
In this conversation, he reflects on the evolution of his practice: from years spent mastering classical approaches to a more expressive, intuitive way of working. He speaks candidly about moving beyond the need to prove artistic skill, the importance of showing real, original work, and the value of creative risk. Alongside his passion for paint, Len is a strong advocate for local artists and exhibition spaces, believing that art should be seen, not stored.
LSA: What inspires the mood and palette of a new piece— do you work from memory, experience, or imagination?
Originally I was inspired to paint still life, portrait, and landscapes in a very traditional style, particularly focusing on developing my art skills in the accepted styles from the past. At that time, around 2009–2018, I thought it was important to show that ‘I could draw and paint’ in order to be accepted ‘as an artist’. I still believe that working in this way helps to develop artistic skills—you learn a huge amount about materials, surfaces, colour, and drawing theory that is always necessary. However, I believe that I had to move away and pursue my own artistic interests.
For several years now, I have been more concerned with exploring new directions. I have dropped still life painting (for now), and instead, exploring landscape and the forces of weather has been dominant. Artists such as Joan Eardley and modern painters such as Louis Noble are very influential in helping me to explore more expressive brushwork and colour in my work. The goal for me is exploring a sense of place rather than a direct representation—after all, photographs can do that. Using pencil lines, slashes of colour, and a fractured pictorial space helps with a sense of wildness. In the 1980s, for my OU degree, I took two specific modules – Philosophy of Modern Art and Modern Art and Modernism. Although I didn’t practise art at that time (I was a keen photographer), I was very influenced by the writings of critics such as Clement Greenberg who, in short, stated painting was basically oil on a flat surface—there is no need to produce 3D images of real life; artists should respect this and stop being purely pictorial. I think it is worth considering that my work is also just paint on a flat surface—let the paint speak to the viewer.
LSA: What inspires the mood and palette of a new piece— do you work from memory, experience, or imagination?
With many of my paintings over the past few years, I have tended to work from memory. I have some photographs that influence my work, and this can lead to a more impressionist image. However, I am now trying to move away from this way of working because it leads to producing, in my view, a more static image, and time is spent trying to make it look ‘like a nice picture’. It has to be said that in most cases, my work is still pictorial, and despite being classed as abstract, it isn’t. A new work that I will be showcasing in June, titled Lake, is definitely ‘abstract’ and is much more the direction that I am interested in for much of my future work.
LSA: What role does the local art scene— including events like Art in the Park and exhibitions at places like Leamington Art Gallery — play in your creative life?
xhibiting my work is very important—why produce it and store it under the bed? Whether people like it or not, it is what I am painting now and needs to be shown.
There has always been a struggle in Leamington regarding displaying local work. The Art Gallery and Museum is rather conservative now, and we only have one ‘Open’ for local artists every two years. Yet the place could really be an exciting venue to show curated works by local artists, and this could complement the gallery’s excellent catalogue.
Having exhibited my work in shops, cafes, churches, and other places, having the gallery space offered by the LSA is brilliant. It is a place for many people to show their own original work (and not dreaded giclées), and the fact that it is possible to show 12 artworks per year is a real bonus. It is what we really need, and given the number of people producing art in the area, it is interesting how little opportunity there has been to see the work. Open Studios, Art in the Park, and the work of the AMA complement the work of the LSA and provide great places to showcase work and bring many people into the realm of the art world.
LSA: For anyone just starting out with painting or finding their visual voice, is there a piece of advice that really stuck with you, or something you’ve learned along the way?
I would suggest for those starting out: attend workshops and courses, watch artists on YouTube—however, ensure that you watch videos by artists who are more challenging and introduce you to ways of working that you may not have considered. If you have the means, go to galleries and take trips to the big nationals and look at the work on show in these centres of excellence. Above all, stop producing chocolate-box work and take some risks. Use what you have learned to develop your own style. Stop trying to please, and stop trying to show that you are an artist!
