Most of the photographs I use are of complete strangers and I have

little idea of their origins or makers. Snap shots are often of mundane

subjects. We all have our own versions of these birthdays / xmas's/

I find the sense of being engaged in a kind of voyeurism intriguing

- the people in the photographs are smiling and posing for someone

else and for someone else to see. During the painting process I enjoy

imagining the possible narratives behind each image. Painting these

photographs and exhibiting them means they are put back into circulation.

Rather than making decisions about subject / composition / and

colour palette, the predetermined nature of Found images allows me

to Focus on the act of making the painting. At the moment I am interested 

in how little I can get away with in terms of actual information

and detail and vet still capture in some way the poignancy of the

It is about editing and making decisions; my decisions and the

accidents that happen during the painting process.

Local Stories - Laura Lancaster