Sylvian Parkinson Brown,B.A.(Hons), P.G.C.E., M.A.

A native of Northern Ireland, Sylvia moved to County Kilkenny over twenty
five years ago. Her background stems from formal art school training in
London and Lancashire, predominantly as a sculptor and this has come to
influence her approach to two dimensional work. She frequently
experiments with surfaces and mixed media, favouring wooden panels, as
this affords greater freedom to develop working with a range of materials
and techniques. Just as she would weld a sculptural armature, drawing is
now the fundamental building block of every piece, this is where the real
work lies, to construct from within. She mostly uses large chunks of
graphite, with layers of gesso and acrylic. It’s a very tactile process, often
pushing the medium with her fingers until the form takes shape.
The past year has seen a conscious move towards a reduced palette and the
animal theme has expanded towards a more layered expression celebrating
wildlife.
How we interact with animals is central, an important indicator of who we
are and now is becoming increasingly significant in our own welfare.
There is creative satisfaction in portraying these beautiful creatures but we
are also compelled to acknowledge the impact of modern life. This is not a
sentimental craving, Sylvia feels we should always draw attention to
wildlife as it continues to emerge as a significant indicator of global
environmental issues.
The entire animal kingdom has a lot to tell us, but we have to see it first.