Are you interested in why a painting is created?
Have you ever wondered about what thought processes go on in a studio when the artist stands in front of a blank canvas and invites the battle to commence?
When an original painting sells it makes business and commercial sense to paint another one with similar attributes. Creatively it gives the artist the opportunity to revisit ideas, pick up where they left off and develop techniques. These ideas also sit on the shoulders of what ever art history has been appreciated, favourite artists studied alongside the fresh inspiration from living and breathing since the last engagement of brush-paint-palette-canvas. All of this has a chance to be incorporated in the new painting.
‘When time finds her true colours’ 91 x 183cm oil on linen. Private Collection, Shaffer, UK
‘When time finds her true colours’ was created throughout 2007, 2008 and 2009 as the collection of paintings for the Lightyears exhibition came to life in the studio. The handmade oil paint I use is a work of art in itself. So lovingly produced by Michael Harding I just cannot bear to waste any of it. At the end of each day any paint left on the palette would be used ‘up’ on this painting.
There were over 100 paintings in the Lightyears collection and all of their colours were represented here in this one painting.
The painting was then exhibited for the first time in 2009 at the Charity Evening in the Darkspace of the long awaited Lightyears exhibition at Paintworks in Bristol. I really didn’t know how it was going to be received, the composition and technique being so different from what I had become known for. For 20 years I had painstakingly controlled, blended and layered paint, it was a disaster if a fly landed on the wet painting or a hair came out of a brush. This new painting was the complete opposite, it was playful, haphazard and accidental. Flies were welcome, even better if they walked around and left a wing or a leg behind.
But would my collectors love it or laugh at it? Had I ‘moved on’ too far? Had I actually not moved forwards at all but taken many steps backwards?
Within minutes of the opening ‘When time shows her true colours’ had sold to a new collector for £5,850.
The painting was delivered and hung in it’s new home early the following morning before the Lightyears exhibition had opened to the public – so, very few people have seen it.
‘Kaleidoscopic’ 91 x 183cm oil on linen. Private Collection, Wathen, UK
In 2014 we launched our next collection of new paintings, amongst them was ‘Kaleidoscopic’ 91 x 183cm. The same idea and technique was applied so it too was representative of all 26 new paintings in the collection and this time carried the collections name. ‘Kaleidoscopic’ was exhibited numerous times, in different venues, over three years, and it had far and away been many peoples favourite painting. It eventually sold in London in 2017 for £3,950. It was one of the last paintings in the Kaleidoscopic collection to sell.
‘Seems to me’ 91 x 183cm oil on linen £4,500 from the new Wonderment collection.
‘Seems to me’ is the current painting which represents an entire collection. As part of the new ‘Wonderment’ Collection, we decided not to give it the collection name, just in case that makes a difference. So far we have sold 4 of the Wonderment paintings….
You are welcome to come and stand in front of it, just get in touch.