'Margaret Lloyd’s truly beautiful paintings are the result of many years studying and training. She taught painting and drawing as a teacher while studying ceramics. A turning point and coincidental interest in Chinese calligraphy happened in Singapore while living there and seeking out Chinese brushes to make marks on her pots. Margaret learned to love the flowing movement against the challenge of making marks that typify Chinese art and calligraphy by loading the brush with varying amounts of water, colour and ink. It became the start of her journey to understand ‘Yin and Yang’ the balancing of opposing forces.
One painting hanging in a Singapore hospital, where Margaret’s husband worked so fascinated the Chinese people as they had slowly lost the skills by moving away to Western medium and technique. Returning to London Margaret abandoned ceramics and sought out Cai Xiaoli with fellow artists to study. This well known Beijing artist taught the group who spent many hours sketching and studying Chinese composition in order to create their paintings. Exhibiting as a group in the Chinese Embassy it shocked diplomats at the skill level achieved.
A move back to Manchester prompted Margaret to find a new Chinese artist to continue learning using water and ink while meditating. The London connection also continued for a further 10 years, painting onto treated silk and using ink in paintings.
Margaret’s feelings about her Art cannot be said any better than by her own words ‘ Chinese composition, movement, texture and mark making is of great interest. Combining ‘Yin and Yang’ i.e light and dark, smooth and rough, thick and thin strokes give life to the painting. I can see why the Impressionists were influenced by Chinese Painting and Japanese prints. Some people have remarked that they can see Monet in my work, which is a great compliment as I love the impressionists. At present, I am mostly using oil paints with a knife. Loading a knife is as tricky as loading a Chinese brush. I move it around the painting as if I’m making calligraphy marks. I have my Chinese compositions in mind as I paint and refer to the principle of ‘Yin and Yang’ balancing the opposing forces. I’m passionate about drawing and painting. It gives me joy and happiness and a way of expressing my feelings about a place, a flower or a person. I hope the onlooker captures the same enjoyment’.
We certainly see the Impressionistic style and Monet feel in Margaret’s romantic, wonderful work and the enjoyment is there for all to see.'
