Stan Harland
BA (Hons) Fine Art
I am a mixed media artist working with a variety of materials and found objects which I incorporate into my paintings and assemblages. I experiment with materials such as flooring, cardboard, masonary paint, acrylic sheets, oilbars, polystyrene, ash and sand to achieve a more textured effect which I have developed in my more recent work.
What draws me into the studio every day? It’s the excitement of the processes, the experimentation, the materials, the mistakes, the happenstances and the surprises. I enjoy the experience of being out of my comfort zone and the challenges that may bring.
My inspirations are largely drawn from the cityscape, landscape and the figure. My style is bold, unafraid, inquisitive and difficult to pigeonhole. My art journey began in the 1960’s when I attended my first life drawing class but studying art at University level has opened my eyes to a whole new way of looking at the world. I paint and draw for myself but hope my audience may feel some of the emotions I try to convey in a visual way.
In tandem with my studio work at the University, I am a member of the Rossendale Valley Artists and have my own studio there. I have been involved with many exhibitions over the years including the annual Rossendale Art Trail and, more recently, Our Green Planet at the Whitaker Park Gallery, Rawtenstall and the Valley Artists Easter Exhibition, 2023, Paper.
“Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” (Pablo Picasso)
