Artists Statement

I paint the woodlands and landscapes of East Sussex because they’re the places where I feel most connected to the world around me. The quiet paths, shifting light, and dense greenery give me endless inspiration, and my work is rooted in capturing that sense of calm, depth, and atmosphere. I want people to feel as if they’re stepping into the same spaces I walk through every day.

Alongside my landscape work, I also create fantasy scenes that grow from the same love of nature and storytelling. These pieces let me push beyond realism and explore imagined worlds, drawing on the mood, light, and structure of real places while adding a sense of mystery and escape. Both sides of my practice feed into each other, the real and the imagined, the observed and the invented.

I work mainly in acrylics, building my paintings through layered washes and fine detail. This approach lets me create depth, texture, and soft transitions of light that feel natural and immersive. Whether I’m painting a woodland path or a fantasy landscape, I’m always trying to create a space the viewer can step into.

My aim is simple: to share the beauty, atmosphere, and quiet magic of the environments, real or imagined, that inspire me, and to encourage a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Darren Slater