Visualising Emotion through Abstract Interpretations of Landscape in the Exposure Series

Charlotte Wensley
Sep 1, 2010
5 min read

Updated: Nov 5

In this series, landscapes are not just places—they are experiences, reflections of the inner terrain we navigate every day. Colour and form play alongside each other like memory and feeling, inviting you to step into spaces that are at once intimate and vast.

Abstract painting with green background, red and yellow circles in a row, and vertical dripping lines. Upper arc hints at a tranquil mood.

Each painting pulses with emotion. Bold colours, strong compositions with unique narratives become hills and valleys, skies and horizons, which in turn become metaphors for our emotional journeys—moments of stillness, encounters with uncertainty, and the fragile beauty of resilience.

There is a vulnerability in these works, a willingness to reveal what often remains hidden: the unspoken rhythms of thought, the subtle shifts of mood, the ebb and flow of human experience.

Light dances across surfaces, shadows deepen, and forms blur, reflecting the way feelings are rarely fixed, always moving, always evolving.

You are invited to pause, to feel, to recognize fragments of yourself in the compositions, textures and colours. In these pieces, emotion takes shape, becomes visible, and lingers; quiet, luminous, and profoundly human.

There are 13 paintings in this collection (2010).

| Affinity

Affinity explores magnetism that draws forms, colours, emotions and people together. In this painting, the composition speaks to the invisible threads of connection — between people, places, and moments in time. It’s a meditation on belonging and resonance, where harmony emerges not from sameness, but from the gentle pull of shared energy.

Acrylic on Canvas

91cm x 61cm

Abstract art with colorful circular patterns in red, yellow, and black on a red background. Radiating lines create a dynamic effect.

Original - SOLD

| All Change At Aberdeen

All Change at Aberdeen captures the restless energy of emotional escape — that pivotal moment when movement becomes both liberation and uncertainty. This painting evokes a sense of departure and the blur of emotions that come with leaving something behind. It’s about having the courage to run, not just from a place, but toward the unknown possibilities waiting beyond.

Acrylic on Canvas

61cm x 77cm

Abstract painting with red, yellow, and black stripes. Dotted lines and circular patterns create a rhythmic, tribal feel. No text visible.

Original - SOLD

| Blackbird

Blackbird evokes the haunting beauty of early morning solitude, when the world is still and a single, mournful song fills the air. The piece was inspired by the fragile space between night and day — a lament for the end of the night and hope for the day to come.

Acrylic on Canvas

122cm x 91cm

Abstract art with a red horizon, white dots, and a textured blue lower half. A large circle hangs, evoking a serene, cosmic scene.

Original - SOLD

| Descent

Descent traces a journey through layers of emotion, deepening shadows, and eventual surrender. The painting’s forms and colours suggest drifting and floating as if through the deep ocean, bringing a sense of release and finding stillness in the depths. It speaks to transformation through vulnerability, where what feels like decline becomes a passage upwards toward renewal.

Acrylic on Canvas

61cm x 61cm

Abstract art with blue circles and red vertical lines on a dark background. Dotted patterns create a cosmic, vibrant feel.

Original - SOLD

| Escape

Escape captures the urgent desire to break free from confinement, expectation, and the weight of the familiar. Its gestures feel impulsive and alive, like the first breath after surfacing from deep water. This piece evokes both the exhilaration and uncertainty of liberation, with a composition that reflects the notion that freedom is as much an inner state as it is a physical act.

Acrylic on Canvas

61cm x 77cm

Abstract painting of a red-robed figure with a circular pattern, standing before swirling red and yellow vortex. Vibrant, energetic mood.

Original - SOLD

| Finding Fragments

This piece explores the delicate act of piecing together memories and emotions from scattered fragments of experience and fleeting moments of interaction. The painting’s scattered composition evokes the feeling that random discoveries can be gathered together to create something whole.

Acrylic on Canvas

61cm x 91cm

Abstract painting with red and white dots orbiting against a vivid blue background. A large orange circle and streaks add dynamic contrast.

Original - SOLD

| Greedy Man

Greedy Man serves as a poignant exploration of the human experience, inviting you to reflect on the delicate balance between desire and connection. In a world where the pursuit of self-interest often overshadows our shared humanity, the painting captures the unsettling dominance of excess.

Acrylic on Canvas

91cm x 122cm

Abstract painting with red and yellow circles on a textured yellow background. Patterns inside large red circle evoke a lively, dynamic mood.

Original - SOLD

| Looking For Light

Looking for Light captures the quiet, persistent hope that draws us toward emotional clarity. Through gentle shifts in colour and light, the painting evokes the search for illumination — both literal and metaphorical — amidst shadow and uncertainty. It’s a meditation on resilience, curiosity, and the moments when even the smallest glimmers guide the way forward.

Acrylic on Canvas

40cm x 30cm

Abstract painting with a green and yellow gradient background, drip effects, and a row of red figures with yellow centers. A crescent moon is visible.

Original - SOLD

| On The Inside

On the Inside explores the quiet complexity of our inner worlds — the thoughts, emotions, and memories that shape how we move through life. This piece evokes a sense of introspection and vulnerability. It invites viewers to look beyond surface impressions and sense the emotional landscape that lies beneath, where tension and tenderness coexist.

Acrylic on Canvas

61cm x 77cm

Abstract artwork features a red and orange concentric circle pattern on a green background with dotted lines on the left, creating a vibrant mood.

Original - SOLD

| Radio Silence

Radio Silence was inspired by a very specific memory of listening to the shipping forecast on car journeys. The words capture a typical forecast for the seas around the British Isles and talked of places that I never heard mentioned anywhere else; strange places which took on an almost mythical quality.

Mixed Media on Canvas

48cm x 61cm

Abstract art with blue and red hues features words like "rain," "gale," and "showers." Text layered throughout creates a chaotic feel.

Original - SOLD

| The Outing

The Outing depicts a moment of adventure, beyond the familiar, and into the wide open space of the west coast of England. Its lively composition and bold colours evoke the feeling of anticipation that comes with stepping into new worlds, both literally and emotionally. Beneath its surface energy lies a sense of freedom, curiosity, and the subtle vulnerability of being seen in the world.

Acrylic on Canvas

61cm x 91cm

Abstract painting with blue, red, and white bands. Circles and lines create patterns. A moon is visible, evoking a calm night scene.

Original - SOLD

| Universal Shift

Universal Shift reflects a moment of profound transformation — when the familiar order gives way to something vast and unknown. Strong forms suggest the movement of forces beyond human control, echoing cycles of change in nature and consciousness alike. The painting embodies the sense of expansion that comes with surrendering to emotional evolution.

Acrylic on Canvas

91cm x 91cm

Abstract painting with a red and blue backdrop, featuring a red planet-like circle at the bottom and a sun-like circle connected by a white line.

Original - SOLD

| Weeping Woman

Weeping Woman conveys the raw intensity of grief and resilience intertwined. Through fluid forms and a structured composition, the painting captures emotion as both weight and release — tears becoming part of a larger rhythm of healing. It speaks to the universality of sorrow, yet within its depths, there’s an undercurrent of quiet strength and beauty in vulnerability.

Acrylic on Canvas

61cm x 61cm