Paul Bell
Gabby Harman’s paintings explore themes of landscape, flowers and still life. Her inspiration comes from her daily life, travels abroad, walking her dogs, driving around the local countryside or simply from one of her great loves - her garden.
The processes she uses are visceral and complex; building layers and scoring back into them, applying and lifting paint to reveal older layers, and washing away to make rivers of paint. Her work is multi-layered, tactile and textural. Her floral and still life paintings, although more figurative, still reflect her love of colour and texture, using a gentler more realistic palette.
Gabby often starts by making lots of small sketches in charcoal, ink or graphite whilst out walking or when travelling abroad, always trying to capture the essence of the place. Movement and colour are always at the heart of her paintings.
Gabby studied textile design at Brighton Polytechnic. After obtaining her degree she worked for several years as an interior designer. She has exhibited extensively in England and USA and most recently at the Green and Stone gallery, in London. She works with fellow Buckinghamshire painters in a group tutored by Simon Brewster.