My work is inspired by ‘Metamorphoses’, the short story by Franz Kafka.
‘One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed...’  
The characters in my paintings are undergoing the same moment of sudden enlightenment.  Somehow, without the process of change being apparent to them, my characters have become something they never intended.  The moment of enlightenment can either lead to a positive change and an escape, or alternatively to an unpleasant impasse. Often, like Gregor Samsa, transformed into a large insect, there is the dawning realisation that their change is permanent and inescapable.
I make quick sketches of people I notice around me, when something about their appearance or posture attracts my interest.  After a period of time, I check through my sketchbooks and select the images that work best.  I paint quickly, to try and keep the vivid quality and freshness of the original sketch and try to resist the temptation to return to the work and ‘fiddle’ once it’s completed.  I like to use bright colours and strong lines, to give each image impact.
 
 
One day Frances found she could no longer leave the house
Ferocious Dog
Gallery Puppetry Biography Courses Work in Progress Art Consultancy
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Heather Steed Studio Current Exhibitions Illustration for children