Jane Campling is an artist from Brighton whose paintings we have long admired here at Chapter 2 for their bold brushstrokes, strong colour combinations and a sense of freedom and movement. Layers upon layers of paint and pastel marks create abstract landscapes which evoke a sense of atmosphere and mood.
We met Jane in her studio to chat about her work (and it turns out her father was also a shoemaker):
- The expressive movement and colours are what draws me to your work, what influenced your painting style?
I am inspired by the ever-changing colours in the natural environment and respond to the interlocking lines, shapes and forms in the landscape: paths cutting through fields or vapour trails dividing the sky. I am interested in how the landscape marks time, how it continually changes but is often reliably the same. This translates into a combination of gestural marks and layered colour in my paintings.
I observe what is around me and will begin my process by noting down colour combinations or sketching forms. Sometimes these feel insignificant, small elements, but they are important as they locate a time and a mood, as well as a sense of place. Then in the studio I will explore the sketches by abstracting marks, combining forms, and layering colour, working in a quick, gestural manner. The paintings resolve over time, often taking months to complete.
I live very close to the South Downs, just outside Brighton, so I walk here each day. This gives me the opportunity to find inspiration for my paintings and think quietly. My studio on the other hand is in the centre of Brighton. I work alongside 100 artists, designers and makers at Phoenix Art Space. It’s vibrant and eclectic, and this energy also influences me.
- Which other artists inspire you?
Door to the River by Willem De Kooning is a painting I saw when I was 17. I remember being captivated by the yellow hue and so excited by the marks. The painting drew me into its space and I was hooked. Another painting, I continually revisit is Portrait of Hendrickje Stoffels by Rembrandt, which is in the National Gallery. I love the tenderness of the marks in contrast to a bold undercurrent that seems to underpin the painting. 
I don’t feel I have a fashion style to be honest! I have quite a large collection of jeans, stripy T shirts and boots though, and I need to feel at home in my clothes.
- What do you like about CHAPTER 2 ?
I discovered Chapter 2 through images on social media and was inspired by the photographs and their narrative. To me Chapter 2 boots and shoes are traditional and contemporary, they have a timeless quality and I feel that they are made with care.
- Shoes take you places, where will your Wren Boots take you?
These boots will stay with me for a very long time. I will try and keep them for best and visits to the National Gallery, but I suspect I will be walking in them along chalky paths before too long!
