Michael Burles

London based painter Michael Burles whose dramatic landscapes are a study in colour, light and form.

Influenced by the landscape of Africa where he grew up as a child and travelled there in the 1990’s, and also by the hills and coastline of Wales having visited the country many times during his life. Visits and time spent in Sussex, Suffolk and his home of London have also provided great landscapes or cityscapes to work from, and although his main focus is on building atmosphere and a sense of the character of a place , topography does play a part in the way that it evolves as well. 

Michael's work is essentially a fusion of observational drawing and painting, memory and imagination. He says "I often start by making small drawings or paintings in situ which I then work from in my studio… they then take on a life of their own as my imagination brings in new colour and texture. I usually build up layers on the surface of the canvas or board, which I then work back into, wiping, scraping and sanding the paint away before adding more on…this can take weeks to complete ,or it can go on for years …I usually have several paintings on the go in my studio at any one time for precisely this reason..  The image constantly evolves until I feel the balance is there. I love the way that the accidental can work alongside the intentional in art, and I will often lay an underpainting on a surface with the intention of covering it with another layer later on, and with the hope that part of it will  come through in the final image, to add mystery and character to the final work."