Astrig Akseralian

Paintings

20 Aug

Rooted in narrative, Astrig’s paintings capture the fleeting, intimate domestic moments of connection between humans and the animals who share their life.

Astrig’s work is primarily concerned with the enduring connections between humans and their domestic animals who share in their daily lives. Rooted in narrative, each piece captures fleeting, intimate moments.
Simple scenes, walking the dog, feeding the chickens, calling the goats, are not grand or heroic but they are deeply felt and so find a connection with the viewer. Flora and fauna weave their way through the composition creating environments which are familiar but slightly other-worldly. As a result her work is lyrical in tone, and has been repeatedly likened to Chagall’s dreamlike scenes. Her marks are immediate and fluid and figures and animals appear in an organic way giving a natural sense of movement.
Working in a series on wooden panels Astrig begins with playful mark making using acrylic paint and pastel pencils, not knowing where the work is heading to begin with. Nothing is planned in advance other than the time taken in the extensive mixing of an inspiring palette of acrylic colours.
Colour is the trigger and is used in an intuitive way which reflects her immediate feelings rather than it being pre-planned. Not following a plan leads to happy accidents which can be exciting and add to the feeling of spontaneity and fluidity. Over time this approach to the use of colour has evolved into becoming Astrig’s very personal and distinctive visual voice.
Through a process of layering the paint, figures begin to emerge and tell their own story within the composition. Beneath the layers there are often earlier figures who have ‘moved on’. Her paintings evolve in an organic way. As the paintings progress, there is more considered editing until the scene and composition has a sense of unity and design.
Astrig’s continued practice of life drawing and sketching from the landscape, particularly the small worlds of allotments, all feeds in to her current work. Many previous strands of her work and her loves have all found each other in her joyful energetic narrative artwork.
Astrig Akseralian is a British artist who has painted professionally for over 16 years. She has sold work through Art Fairs, galleries and exhibitions across the UK. Originally from London, Astrig now lives and paints in Frome, Somerset.
Astrig graduated from the Central School of Art and Design in 1986, having gained a Degree in Ceramics. There she studied under Richard Slee, Gordon Baldwin and Eileen Nesbit. She began her art career in a shared studio at Cockpit Yard Workshops in Holborn. She built up a business selling hand decorated ceramics through a number of galleries around the UK and internationally. Astrig’s hand-painted bone china tea sets and dinner services depicted joyful wild animals. These are still held by many collectors.
Following a number of years, Astrig decided to have a career change, and began working in the film industry as a freelance painter and art finisher in Creature Effects Departments. She worked in the UK and on many locations around the world. Astrig’s credits include: Muppet Treasure Island, Gladiator, Mars Attacks and Harry Potter I,II & III. This led to her holding the position of lead-painter and head of art finishing.
Before moving to Somerset, Astrig lived in Cambridge for a number of years, where she was able to dedicate her time to painting, developing her style. This continues in her new garden studio in Frome.