Lesley Carruthers

Lesley Carruthers’ widely acclaimed art is the product of a largely intuitive process, often informed and inspired by the landscapes in which she has lived and worked. During almost two decades of working as a sculptor many commissions were undertaken, including one for a major piece of public sculpture in Essex, and one for a sculpture in Helensburgh’s new outdoor museum, in Colquhoun Square.

Returning to her native Scotland in 2010 resulted in an impressive and fascinating new body of work, including some new bronze pieces but also led to a step change – from 3D to 2D. For several years now she has been working almost exclusively with fluid acrylics and alcohol inks, producing a new and exciting range of abstract paintings

Her technique in both sculpting and painting is instinctive: ‘usually happening without advance planning or rational thought’. and she finds the creative process both unpredictable and unfathomable, yet at the same time hugely inspirational. “Working in abstract is, for me, a means, of self-expression which allows me to communicate in a different way, without words”.

Lockdown 2020 prompted a period of introspection, leading to a renewed commitment to painting, as well as a decision to give all money received from painting sales to charity. Why do this?