Fiona Stewart
Fiona Stewart studied at Edinburgh College of Art and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School before embarking on a professional career as a theatre designer and scenic artist. She has painted scenery for major stop motion animation features including Wes Anderson’s ‘Isle of Dogs’ and ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ as well as Tim Burton’s ‘Frankenweenie’ and John Lewis’ 2013 Christmas advert ‘Bear and the Hare’.
In 2014 Fiona began working on her own artistic practice.
Her recent series of works called Memory Walks, gesturally narrates her response to place. The landscape has a story to tell and Fiona is fascinated with catching the spirit of this rather than faithfully reproducing it.
“Working intuitively and from memory, I capture my experience of being in a space and often return to the same walk again and again, as there is always something new to delight the senses. From a familiar tree shedding its autumnal coat to the soft and mossy green magic carpet that appears through coarse and earthly bracken” (Fiona Stewart).
Enjoying the fluidity and assertiveness of paint as a favoured medium she may start with an idea of what to paint but it is never the final outcome. Instead, Fiona instinctively respond to her chosen medium by encouraging the unexpected accidents that allow a painting to develop. It is only when a state of deep focus is reached that memories from the artists past come back into her thoughts and she finds something within the work that conveys what she is really after.
Fiona had her first solo show in 2022 at The Lido Stores, Margate. She has previously exhibited at the prestigious, Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair alongside established practitioners Grayson Perry, Paulo Reno, Tracy Emin and Norman Ackroyd. Other exhibitions include the 30 x 30 Society of Scottish Artists Annual Exhibition 2022 and numerous joint and group shows.
Fiona now works from her studio in the Scottish Highlands.
Original Oil on Canvas Panel
Size Framed: 150mm x 200mm