Fiona Millais' work has always been underpinned by her local landscape of heathlands, woods and pools, both remote and intimate. She enjoys exploring the variety provided by these landscapes, which she describes as constantly pushing her to broaden and extend her artistic vocabulary. She is intrigued by how landscapes are shaped by ourselves and by our ancestors, and how we leave echoes, traces and marks upon it.
Usually, but not exclusively, her paintings are based on landscape or still life, but are rarely directly representational. Paintings are often produced on the completion of a journey - either abroad or within the British Isles, and are evolved from memories, drawings and notes done on the spot. Music and literature sometimes provide additional source material.
Much of her work is based on the coasts of Cornwall and Scotland and where she lives in the South East. She collects objects, perhaps while out walking the dog, such as stones, leaves and feathers, which when painted create layers of texture, colour and interwoven history. She often paints and repaints canvasses so that traces of the original images remain present, allowing the work to undergo a process of metamorphosis.
Fiona Millais has exhibited widely throughout the UK, featuring in shows from Cornwall to Penzance, Cambridge and London. She has completed several Artist in Residence programmes, including projects at Lord Wandsworth College and Cheltenham Ladies College.
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