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Shirley’s work is energetic and gives off an almost palpable effect
on the eye of the viewer. Her paintings reflect the natural artistic
inner need to communicate with an immediate and strong effect on
the senses - One that the viewer can translate in the mind slowly,
absorbing the subject matter and having been given that opportunity
to read what they wish into it. The artist provides only ambiguous
general titles to her work. “Mob” “Jazz” “Night Club” “Riot” are
not ‘untypical’ of these simplistic titles , titles that belies the work
behind them. With a bank of work that stretches over 30 years Shirley
is a compulsive painter who has a very strong work ethic and a
no-nonsense approach to her own daily work discipline . As Kahlil
Gibran said in his book ‘the Prophet’.
“Work is Love made Visible.”
Shirley is always looking to progress in her artistic approach to
creating art. Her belief in ‘drawing’ is well documented and it’s a
discipline she still holds a passion for, demonstrated as the founder
and close involvement with the ‘life drawing’ group’ since 1983 in
her home town of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, on the East coast of Yorkshire
in the UK, where her studio is also located.
“ I believe that practising artists need to draw from life -
it’s the backbone of the artistic process.”
The artist also diversifies within her painting process from ‘pure
painting’ to ‘print making’ - However, not one to take the easy route of
many artists who turn to print from paint, Shirley decided some years
ago to create a different art using the ‘Collography’ method - It’s
a way of hand printing that was first developed/introduced in 1955
by Glen Apps. The method comes from the ‘classical’ plate printing
method (17th century) but takes this a stage further. It could be seen
as ‘collage’ where various materials (literally any materials from
bubble wrap to Bananas) are used in conjunction with the brush -
all hand applied - finished off with colour pigments to ‘collages plate
is then pressed onto a rigid substrate (card or paper).
The process is almost an experiment every time it is employed, and
the result can be either ‘great’ or not so great. When Glen Apps
introduced this ‘new-wave’ of printing for the masses - Shirley
Fletcher was only eight years old at the time, but even by then
she must have known full well, that she was born to create Art,
and in her own way.
When I first saw Shirley’s work two master artists came to mind -
both happen to be much admired by many artists and myself for many
years. They were Ensor and Rouault - I think the imagery of Shirley’s
art is so defined by the artworks painted and artworks printed that
the influences of these two painters must have inspired and driven
her forwards to gain her uniqueness. I do believe Shirley may been
seen as an artist with a solid or even a tough exterior, but underneath
that exterior, I think, is a wickedly good sense of humour, a sincere
empathetic heart and truly dedicated artist - who works - not for
applause or even necessarily financial reward - but simply because
she cannot help herself or stop creating Art that lifts the heart and
challenges the mind whilst simultaneously pleasing the eye.
written by Denis Taylor. Artist and Curator for TUBES gallery & editor of
painters TUBES magazine ©2019 all rights reserved by TUBES magazines