Further information about the paintings, aphorisms,
and Lesley Carruthers
About the Paintings
Paintings are mixed media, some are unframed, some are framed or have the option to be so. All paintings are unique and original - no prints or copies are ever made. Sizes vary, so please check the size carefully before you buy. Multi-purchase discount available - please contact me.
Postage in the UK is free. If you are viewing this from outside the UK please contact me for a postage quote.
If you have any questions at all, or if you would like to arrange a video call to view any of the paintings in more detail, please contact me.
I am happy to take commissions incorporating a favourite quote, or for specific colours or sizes. Please get in touch to discuss.
All proceeds from paintings are donated to charities, currently Children's Hospices Across Scotland and Disasters Emergency Committee - Ukraine.
About the Aphorisms
I have collected aphorisms for as long as I can remember. I am fascinated by their ability to be thought-provoking, and to capture the essence of what can often be quite profound concepts in so few words. An aphorism can hook itself into your mind in a way that a much longer paragraph does not. I had been considering incorporating aphorisms into my paintings for a long time before I actually tested it out. The big challenge is to make sure the words add an additional layer of depth or meaning and do not detract from the quality of the painting itself. I wanted the letters to add to the pattern or the tone of the painting from a distance, and only reveal the words as you come closer, to add an extra layer to the artwork and encourage the viewer to explore the deeper meaning of the piece.
Personal Profile
Hello. I am Lesley Carruthers, living and working in Helensburgh, on the west coast of Scotland.
I have always been passionate about art but when I was young was persuaded to take the pragmatic option of a degree in English Language & Literature at Glasgow University. I then pursued a career in business and academia, whilst bringing up two children. Art caught up with me again in my late 40s. The abstract aluminium and bronze sculptures I subsequently created can be found in homes and gardens across East Anglia with a few in the West of Scotland. I have a piece of public art in Essex and another in Helensburgh. Over the last decade, the painting and sketching I have always done has assumed a more dominant role, as I reinterpret my earlier 3D creations in two dimensions.
Recently I have started to add thought-provoking words to some of my paintings, a testimony to my constant search for the Meaning of Life. It feels as if I have come full circle and that all the varying strands of my life are co-ordinating in the abstract mixed media paintings I am currently producing.. The pleasure I find in this creative activity is intense. “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards” as Kierkegaard said. I give away all the proceeds to charities including Children’s Hospices Across Scotland
'Dancing Sails'
2007, West Mersea, Essex
standing 2.7m high
'Sea Fever' 2015,
Colquhoun Square, Helensburgh
1.2m high