Revolve Gallery

Paine Proffitt

American-born artist Paine Proffitt’s paintings are symbolic, whimsical and dreamlike, celebrating the joys and hardships of life and the diversity of human emotion and experience. His work looks at a variety of themes including the idea of cultural identity, emotion, romance, relationships, memory, sport, and the human condition. The majority of his paintings are filled with symbolism and allegories, with a psychological undercurrent of who we are as people and what we go through in life.

Since moving to England, Paine’s been fascinated and inspired the English way of life. On arriving in England Paine has been fortunate to have exhibited in several galleries and museums throughout England and Scotland. He has also had the honour of a solo exhibition at the Museum of Rugby in Twickenham celebrating the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. Paine is passionate about the arts and sport (especially football and rugby) and felt privileged to focus on a series of paintings about the culture and passions of his adopted country, which were very close to his heart.

Background

Paine was born in the United States to journalist parents and constantly moved throughout his childhood. Settling in Philadelphia, Paine became interested in art as a teenager and went to art school to study illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence (USA) while also spending a year at the University of Brighton (England). He moved to England permanently in 2001, and after spending almost 10 years working as a freelance illustrator in the US he changed the style of his artwork completely and focused all of his attention on his own paintings and themes. Since 2001 Paine has accomplished both solo and group exhibitions of his work including shows in Twickenham, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Sheffield, Stoke-On-Trent, Bath, Cambridge, Nottingham, and others.

Inspiration

“I try to take my inspiration from everywhere I can. Artistically I’m inspired by a wide range of artists, notably Chagall, Picasso, Matisse, as well as many others.” Paine’s themes are influenced by life in England (especially in the North): the people, the cities, the industries, the history, the interests, the culture, and the way of life. He also finds his inspiration in what makes us tick as people: emotions, love, work, interests, family, memories, heartache, depression, hardships, etc. And on coming to England, his love of football and rugby is also found in his work, looking at the game itself, as well as the passions and heartache of the game, the loyalties and regional identities that come with the teams, and the love, history, and personal nostalgia of sport.

To Canvas

“I sometimes start with a rough idea or sketch and use that as a starting point, while letting the piece take on a life and direction of its own during the painting. I’ll build up a surface texture, then do a rough pencil drawing on top. Then start painting and building up the colour and textures of the piece. I’ll change, add, and take away elements as the painting evolves depending on what looks and feels right and I’ve found this keeps the piece and the process interesting and exciting.”