Annalisa Merrilees West Lothian, United Kingdom

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Painting graduate from Gray’s School of Art, now living and working in Edinburgh.

Painting is a deeply personal experience. The intimacy between an artist and the canvas are a rare moment that, to some, will never be understood. My paintings capture the viewer’s attention, and for a moment, give them a glimpse into my frame of mind while making the work. The paintings are very much about touch. Delicately painted over a long period of time, the work appears at first to be mechanically made but reveals it to be the product of a careful hand. My process derives from an interest in the mental limits of the body and the subsequent physical effects. There is a visible struggle between control and chaos, which comes from my monomaniacal tendencies. Each piece has a set of routines that must be followed and completed in as close to one sitting as possible. The use of a random number generator to allocate colours to the base grid allows the painting to begin its life illogically. By removing myself from this responsibility, it initiates a dialogue and set of problems, which I then respond to. The random and deliberate actions come together to create a sufficient formal balance within the work.