During 2023 and 2024, I became interested in the Cubist movement and spent a lot of time incorporating Cubist elements into my paintings. I experimented with a structured geometric style, fractured surfaces, hard edges, and geometric shapes.

This year, I have taken a tentative step away from Cubism and begun exploring Post-Impressionist artists. Artists like Cézanne paved the way for the Cubist movement:

“His unique method of building form with color and his analytical approach to nature influenced the art of Cubists, Fauves, and successive generations of avant-garde artists.”

I first became interested in Cézanne while researching Cubist landscape art. Although not a Cubist himself, Cézanne frequently appeared in my research, and I was drawn to the way he broke landscapes into geometric shapes, used strong outlines, and abstracted and simplified forms.

Although I was heavily influenced by Cubism at the time, I used my research into Cézanne’s work when creating the painting below. This piece earned third prize in Garstang’s “Paint Garstang 2024” plein air competition.

Recently, I have been drawn to exploring Cézanne’s still-life paintings. I have created my own still-life setups using tablecloths, fruit, bowls, and wine bottles, mimicking Cézanne’s use of color and brushstrokes.

In Tablecloth, Wine Bottle, and Dish of Fruit, I focused on mimicking Cézanne’s use of color to create form, light, and shadow. Cézanne studied objects from different angles and moved his easel around to capture multiple perspectives. I incorporated this approach in my still-life study, making the bowl of fruit appear as if viewed from above, while the tabletop is presented as a flat, front-facing view. You can see a video of me painting Tablecloth, Wine Bottle, and dish of fruit over on You tube following this link.

Unlike the Impressionist painters, who valued plein air painting and working directly from life, Cézanne often used photographs, sculptures, and his imagination as references. Inspired by this, I spent time creating reference photographs to use in my paintings.

Cézanne broke forms down by painting objects in sequence rather than rendering them all at once. In my paintings, I tried to replicate this by applying the same mixed colors to different areas simultaneously, creating a cohesive color palette throughout the work.

Another way I have been inspired by Cézanne this year is through artist transcripts. I am a member of The Thursday Art Club (colloquially known as TAC), a small group of artists based in East Lancashire who meet biweekly to paint together. One of our regular practices is creating artist transcripts—copying other artists’ works to better understand their techniques and processes.

During these sessions I have created artist transcripts of “Bathers” by Paul Cézanne 1888 (see above) and of his painting “Leda and the Swan” (see below) circa 1880.

This practice has helped me gain a deeper understanding of Cézanne’s use of visible brushstrokes, color, and strong outlines. Although our color palettes differ, I have adopted his technique of applying each mixed color to various parts of the canvas simultaneously rather than completing one object at a time.

I have also applied this technique in my life drawings, as seen in Cherry (2025), a watercolor painting created during a life drawing session I attend weekly. I intend to continue exploring Post-Impressionist influences throughout the year and see how they shape my personal style. Post-Impressionist artists I plan to study further include Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Samuel John Peploe, and Matisse.

Currently, I am reading Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin, which has immersed me in the world of the Impressionists and the early Post-Impressionist movement. I also want to explore female Post-Impressionist artists such as Vanessa Bell, Emily Carr, and Suzanne Valadon.

What artwork, genre, or style is inspiring your work at the moment? Have you tried creating an artist transcript? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear what you’re working on!

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