Cove Conversations - Jan Nelson

In this series of blogs we ask Cove Gallery artists to choose artists and artworks that have inspired them to give us a closer insight into the influences that drive their creativity.

And what better place to start than with the ever-popular Jan Nelson, who has been at Cove for almost a decade and whose dramatic seascapes and colourful florals are a regular feature of our gallery window.

Jan chooses four seascape artists – Turner, Aivanovsky, Homer and Dawson – whose works have influenced her, and also describes how the Scottish Colourists school continue to shape the evolution of her own style.

 JMW Turner – Dutch Boats in a Gale
“This was perhaps my first OMG moment! When I stood before this huge painting at the National Gallery I was overwhelmed, I felt I could almost fall into the sea! Its mood is typically Turner, for me but its scale, size and perspective take it to a different level altogether”.

Ivan Aivazovsky – Storm!
“Much of my own work is of the sea, and a seascape painter that I particularly admire is the Russian nineteenth century artist, Ivan Aivazovsky. Now acknowledged as a master, Aivazovsky had a wonderful talent to be able to paint the most beautiful translucent seas, often beneath melodramatic, moody light-filled skies”.

Winslow Homer – Fishing Boats, Key West
“Winslow Homer is an important American artist who worked in many different styles, but its his watercolours that have most influenced me. His marine scenes are so delicate, almost like sketches, capturing the Caribbean climate perfectly with azure skies and brightly-lit white yachts and fishing boats”.

 Montague Dawson – Americas Cup
“Sailing is my passion, and no painter portrays the racing yachts of the Americas Cup more authentically than British artist Montague Dawson. His pieces are meticulously realistic, yet he manages to truly capture the moment of action in a race. It’s as if you are up close, sailing right alongside the yacht in the picture.”

The Scottish Colourists
“When I think about styles of painting, I must say that the Scottish Colourists – four artists who each spent time in France during the late 19th and early 20th centuries – have had a significant influence on my development as an artist. Their works are vibrant and confident, using simplistic, bold brush strokes to create apparently complex pieces. In particular, I love the beautiful close up floral paintings of Hunter and Peploe, which best show the colourists' ‘less is more’ approach to colour and composition. It’s something I am striving to achieve in my own work – my brush strokes are increasingly more concise, and my florals are becoming bolder and simpler.”

See Jan Nelson's collection of work here

Links to Further Information
Artist Profile - JMW Turner
Artist Profile - Ivan Aivanovsky
Artist Profile - Winslow Homer
Artist Profile - Montague Dawson
Group Profile - The Scottish Colourists