Richard Monks

My work is abstract, painted from memories gathered in the landscape over the seasons. It includes familiar elements – shapes observed on regular walks around the Lake District, Liverpool and the Llŷn Peninsula, between which I divide much of my time; field patterns on the fellside, flotsam washed up along the shoreline, or the remains of an industrial era on the banks of the Mersey.

With these as my inspiration I build up layers of paint in an intuitive way; scraping, sanding, scouring to reveal hidden details – responding to the marks themselves, constantly looking to see what emerges – contrasts – relationships between colour and form. So that the final work, whilst not immediately recognisable, retains a sense of time and place.  After studying at the Royal College of Art I was elected as a member to The Royal Cambrian Academy in 2024.