Tell us a bit about the work that you’re exhibiting in the Window Gallery.

JV: This work has been made under a series of self-imposed limitations. The limitations have come about in response to my need to put myself in a tighter spot in my painting in order to see what emerges and so hopefully learn something useful about the kind of work I make or need to make or am not making.  The first restriction is to respond to the view I have most looked at in the last year and the second is to make a series of paintings of the view within a short period of time. The view is of St. Peter’s Church across the road from Phoenix Art Space. The actual span of the whole view is much greater than just the church but I have focused on the church reacting to the varying shifts in light and weather at different times of the day. The paintings are made in oil, acrylic on paper and iPad.

What’s special about the view from Studio 4SO? 

JV: The structure of the church I find fascinating as well as it’s scale. The building is still partly wrapped in scaffolding which for several years I have been waiting for it to be removed but now I like it much more than previously and so it’s what I find compelling about it. The vastness of the view is also impressive. I can see the weather in action very well.

JV: The process is always the same. I have been working directly from observation, no photographs or aide memories and as quickly as possible. My intention had been to have time and scale limits completing each work in one or two sittings but that hasn’t been as strictly imposed as I had would have liked. Shifts in light and paint drying times are the usual challenges. The beauty of having rough size restrictions and compositional decisions worked out in advance means you can focus on other things.