Maria Bell-Salter’s current exhibition Fruition is currently on display at the Garden Museum until 17 March. We spoke with the artist to find out more about her work:
What was your journey to becoming an artist?
An indirect one although I’ve always been interested in art. When I was young we lived in New York where my mother would take me to The Met and always made sure we didn’t stay too long so that it felt special to come back for more. Besides the fabulous artworks, there was an interactive area for children to experiment with colours and shapes which I loved playing in. As we moved back to London, I attended the Lycée on Cromwell Road across from the V&A and often visited there with my class – another treat on many levels — I can’t say enough about how important it is for children to have access to the arts and being opened up to their wonder and possibilities. The Garden Museum is a marvellous asset for school groups and I’m so pleased that a portion of any sales of my paintings in this exhibition is going towards their learning and educational programmes.
As a student I aimed for the history of art rather than the practice of it so have two MA, from Middlebury College in Vermont and the University of Paris. I studied the influence of Japanese wood-block prints (Ukiyo-e) on Monet, Manet and Degas as an undergraduate and for my French MA I wrote on the rise of figuration in French contemporary art of the 1980s (the era of Basquiat). My other MA, in art history, was on 19th-century painting, but despite previous studies and love of the French Impressionists, for my thesis I focused on British art and the Pre-Raphaelites, researching how William Morris’ early views on art influenced his later views on politics and just indulging in the beauty of their works, both in arts and crafts and in painting.
I also worked in museum education and lectured on art history which – together with the “Art for art’s sake” dictum, led me to no longer be satisfied to speak about the art of others and compelled to make my own! You could say I trained by looking at art, and mostly by looking at nature and light. Gradually I learned by myself to work with my materials, first (dry) pastels on paper and then oils on canvas to achieve the effects I wanted.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
I wanted to learn about and see good visual art that can stand the test of time and has the capacity to express ideas. What influenced my own expression were paintings by artists such as Monet, Sisley and van Gogh, and understanding the meaning that landscape can convey through the artist’s interpretation – just think of Monet’s ‘Nympheas’ or van Gogh’s Starry Night and how they speak to us.
My paintings look to Impressionism in that they are quite atmospheric and dependent on the play of light and the truth of their locations. I’m strongly influenced by my experience and memory of the subjects I depict. This can be the atmosphere of a vineyard, the light in Provence, the cool shades of an English garden. I choose consciously to draw on the positive, but there is always something of mystery and shadow even in my most exuberant flowers.
Are your paintings based on real life or drawn from your imagination?
Real life – always. Whether landscapes of Scotland, Colorado, Provence or English gardens. I have no garden of my own but am profoundly grateful to be living near Regent’s Park which has the most exquisite herbaceous borders year-round and tulip displays in Spring. You can see several of the paintings in the exhibition that reflect these.
What does a typical day in the life of an artist look like for you?
No typical day, but as I have my studio at home I’m able to work when inspiration strikes, or when commissioned – something I really enjoy as it’s great fun to meet people with gardens or who have a particular attachment to a landscape.
Over lock-down I also co-founded an arts charity called ARTscapades (www.ARTscapades.org), and together with my colleagues we organise events with expert art historians, curators and speakers, our purpose is to give grants from the ticket proceeds to help support museums and galleries. I’m usually hosting an event a week and find it stimulating to be immersed in learning about current exhibitions and a rich variety of talks. This season for example, we feature a range of topics from Bettany Hughes’ on her new book Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, to Renaissance painting, Impressionist drawings, and on Grayson Perry!
Another thing about being an artist is that one is always learning — it’s never too late to grow!
Can you tell us about your paintings for your exhibition at the Garden Museum?
The word, Fruition, signifies the realisation or fulfilment of a plan or project, also from the late Middle English it means – to enjoy, to delight in. Gardens, however ‘natural’ they may appear are a product of our own creation, one we have made to bring pleasure to ourselves and othersas they mature and bloom.
My paintings of tulip beds and herbaceous borders immerse the viewer in vitality and colour – sometimes strong and vibrant, sometimes subtle with undefined mystery in the depths. Through this, I hope to convey a sense of the inspiration, joy and wonder that I feel at the sight of a garden brought to fruition.
What is one of your favourite paintings in the exhibition and why?
The painting I call ‘Fruition’. It has a sense of being almost tropical — lush swathes of white nicotiana and purple salvia with a wonderful array of foliage – shapes both powerful and delicate. Green also happens to be a very fugitive and tricky pigment to use and I’ve tried to find as many variations as possible by mixing paint colours.
Finally, as we are the Garden Museum, can you tell us about your relationship with plants, gardening and nature?
I’ve had houseplants wherever I’ve lived, and lately am rather good at getting orchids to re-bloom. Plants are moved around to take advantage of the sunshine and our south-facing kitchen is often full of them. As a child I fondly remember picking vegetables – potatoes, carrots, lettuce with my retired Naval-Captain grandfather in his terraced garden on the South Devon coast – he also grew glorious sweet peas, and their scent immediately takes me right back to views of the sea!