Jennie Cousins - Issian Design

I grew up in Ilfracombe and have always loved North Devon. After adventuring away from home for a while, I have returned home to be content by the sea with my family.

I specialise in paintings that explore the nature of coastal environments, our relationship to them, and how they impact on our identity. I often incorporate scavenged ocean plastics directly into the paint, which I collect from the area I am painting. This raises questions about human impact on the landscape, permanence and impermanence, and the nature of beauty. 

I like to layer up my work and will add oil pastel, paint and ink, scratching back through these surfaces to reveal texture and detail below. Sometimes I will also scan these layers and work digitally. My work is often characterised by multiple lines and cross-hatching.