About James McGairy

James has been working as an artist in Guisborough, Northeast England, since 1991. James has used paint in response to this region’s visual splendour, paintings that celebrate  our landscape.  There is a certain northern light that is very subtle, James strives to convey this feeling through paint, to convey a sense of place.

'I paint as a response to my environment, I like to spend time out in the landscape, often wild camping. This immersive experience gives opportunities to witness fleeting light, this compells me to paint. Sometimes I am lucky, and I try to capture this moment. I use a mix of ‘En plein air’ painting on location and use of photo reference. The painting process involves layers of paint, in an effort to achieve depth, I feel my way into paintings. I am continually thrilled by the magical quality of paint. ‘