Artist Lynn Poland draws inspiration for her color-saturated landscapes from nearby coastlines and the open expanses of the Cheshire Plain of northwest England, where she lives and works. After studying art in school, Poland trained in printmaking in Manchester and spent several years teaching and painting on the side before deciding to devote her full attention to her own artwork. Poland cites such disparate artistic influences as Rothko, Bonnard, and Diebenkorn, and these influences are seamlessly incorporated into her work.

Poland’s artworks simulate the act of looking across broad swatches of land; she mimics the feeling of scanning the horizon with panoramic compositions and depicts the simple punctuation of hedges and roads upon horizontal stripes of fields and sky in vivid Technicolor that structure the painting. “The interest lies not in the detail,” she says, “but in the color and texture of the piece. Time and weather are a vital factor as these both control the dramatic potential of the work.” This color and texture is brought out by Poland’s process, which involves scoring and scratching the piece before applying gesso and layering colors that collect in these scores and scars to intensify the effect and heighten the drama of her work.