Eileen Bradbury
MFA Painting
Painting is my second career. My first was as a psychologist alongside plastic surgeons, working with people who have experienced life-altering trauma. In my later years I became a student again, completing my MA and MFA in painting. My work as a painter draws on my lifetime experience, so many images, so many events and so many amazing people. I learnt that life is precarious and both physical and psychological identity can be fractured, but also that there is a healing process and resilience can be built. That understanding increasingly affects my painting practice.
I love to paint, and go to my studio most days, immersing myself in colour and texture. I have developed my painting practice over the last two years at MMU, and love the journey as I move forward. I am mesmerised by the way that oil paint moves on canvas. My paintings are often intense in colour, evoking emotion. I enjoy the conversation with others who see my work and comment on it. There is often a hesitancy when the person looking is not confident in their anaysis or response, but with encouragement will speak out.
This is where painting truly meets psychology, the emotional response and personal exploration that is triggered. That process is increasingly central to my practice.
