An artist who creates her art on the deck of her houseboat has shared how she turns water from the river Thames into magnificent art.
Lyndsay Russell, bestselling author and recent post-graduate from Kingston University has been creating art for over 20 years.
It wasn’t until the national lockdown, where Lyndsay found herself limited to using the art studios and turned to inspiration from the studio to her houseboat.
Lyndsay then used muddy water from the river Thames and transformed it into stunning art.
Using different salts and river water, Lyndsay created a series of art, known as Water Alchemy.
Lyndsay told the Surrey Comet: “When boats were going by the river, the water rocked my houseboat and formed beautiful creations of art.
“It felt like me and the boat were working together.”
She used a variety of minerals, inks and pigments to create work that bared resemblances to universes across space.
Lyndsay said: “The results are always astounding.
“The oscillations of the waves hitting my boat was like the energies in space and it was like mini universes were forming through my art.”
Lyndsay’s river art is a one-of-a- kind, as each creation has a unique affect, depending on the ingredients used and the rhythm of the waves.
Lyndsay told the Surrey Comet that the process was like “creating a food recipe”.
She explained: “It’s like creating a food recipe, but instead of cooking food, I’m cooking art.
“Too much river water doesn’t give the right effect, and too little river water doesn’t work at all.
“I feel like I’m a sea-witch; watching my ingredients form into art.” Lyndsay used not only paper and canvas’ for the base of the art, but also painted onto silk.
She added: “It was fun experimenting with the ingredients onto silk, as it offers a similar movement to the waves in the water.”
Lyndsay then further developed her Water Alchemy art- into a series called Aqua Nebulae.
She added: “The Water Alchemy series was made from playing with different salts; the Aqua Nebulae series took it to another level- where I’ve used golden minerals and crystal spheres to transform it into mini universes.”
Lyndsay recently finished being a mature student at Kingston University, where she studied a post graduate degree in Fine Arts.
During her time at University, Lyndsay created a range of eccentric art, including a bronze sculpture resembling a rising hand out of the city of Atlantis and a series of canvas’ known as Dark Matter.
The Dark Matter series was inspired by space, light energy and science-fiction.
Lyndsay said: “I love the idea of the unknown universe and what lies in it.
“I love the wilder theories of different dimensions and parallel universes, so that’s what these paintings represent.
“The logos on the series are from dark matter research and I love the idea of making them constellations of the future.”
Before pursuing her passion for art, Lyndsay wrote a best-selling novel that was on its way to becoming a Hollywood success.
The idea soon fell short, and Lyndsay didn’t appeal to the “fake lifestyle Hollywood was renowned for”.
She since has been following her love for the fine arts and creating many artworks aboard her houseboat.
Now until Sunday December 5, visitors can see Lyndsay’s art displayed at an exhibition in Cass Art in Kingston, curated by Tim Terry.
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