Paintingtheinnate

Conflict Resolution Nō 53 and other stuff.

Getting lost and finding out along the way.

There is something magical when immersed in the act of painting, that of being in the moment, the absolute joy in discovering a shape, mark or colour that begins to transform the blank canvas; an unexplainable symbiosis that is very much an interior sensation, witnessing the flow of wet paint, never completely sure about the final outcome. I have no issue in watching paint dry!

Of course, the next phase presents a whole new ball game. How to maintain the immediacy without overworking, without overthinking and ultimately, without fear of getting lost. Accepting the unexpected is for me, part of the process in developing the work. This means it is in a continuous state of flux and this means continuous reassessment of the work and also, of me. Just exactly why am I making these images? What is the point? How valid is process led work?

And .... why do I keep insisting on asking questions? My head hurts!

The work continues:

As usual all canvasses are started laid out on the studio floor, where creases dictate the initial point of contact. Colour choice random. Once the first mark is made, the conversation begins. There usually follows a pattern of doing so much, leaving the studio and on return responding immediately to the inner voice. At this stage there is no right way up, the painting is worked from all directions, I still like the idea of the image dictating how it is eventually viewed.

This approach may lead to a painting that requires minimal intervention or layer upon layer before the conversation stops. As the images evolve there is also a connection with its subject matter. Events that seep into the psyche rise to the surface as the painting reveals itself. World news that is very much about the rewriting of history, removal of monuments that have stood for thousands of years, that were symbols of past civilisations. These acts of excessive editing have resonated loudly with me. What drives us to deny the past? It strikes me that once you engage in these acts of destruction, you lose the argument. In order to maintain control you introduce fear and in this, you are no better than those that you rally against.

Last Monument Standing

Embroidering a new landscape

Conflict Resolution Nō 53

Cruciform

Consumerist Ideology

The Fall of Palmyra

Polaris - Big Cock in a boat

The etchings continue to explore the theme of constant editing and the reality of the past remaining in the present.

Latest state of play

105 cm x 105 cm

Response - Reflect - Review

Getting to grips with the intuitive process and understanding the limitations of understanding.

The journey continues, the need to create, record, document and then the need to understand, are ever present. The act itself is intuitive, process led, direct responses to the way that the marks /colour rest on the canvas /paper but, its purpose? value? relevance? Can of mental worms? Absolutely.

There is a sense of discovery in the new work, a cathartic experience, reflective of where I find myself at this stage of my life. Personal events that have occurred that naturally seep into the work, not as literal narrative but in the concept of editing; things that were and are, no more. As much as I try, I can no longer hear my parents' voices, what I have is an imagined archive; layers cover up time, creating new time, old memories, new memories, it's all part of the process of change. Exterior / Interior. It's still an edited version of it, a hybrid; part perceived and part, faithfully recounted. The truth is in there somewhere. I genuinely want to make work that attempts to express deeper unspoken emotions and for it to reveal only what is necessary at any given moment of time. Shifts in the pattern of time, both literal and metaphorical.

The large etching continues to reveal new memories, literally by scratching the surface:

Smaller investigations:

I am still approaching the work with a genuine desire for 'surprise' - discovering the 'magic' that can sometimes evolve through the act of 'what if' - it is only natural that the work can be hit and miss but too much control can lead to repetition; the beauty of etching is its ability to repeat and this offers enormous freedom. You are safe in the knowledge that you can take risks and the original print is 'safe', the excitement of pulling back the paper to reveal what has turned out, this for me, has never gone away. The interaction between the press and paper, it is sheer magic!

The painting is evolving, I am continuing to use the textile screens and other media. The random/ haphazard placement still at the core of the start of any image. I want to work things out, to put myself in a place where I am not entirely certain about the outcome, to discover a passage of paint that determines the painting's direction. Space within the image is becoming important, subtle shadows & light that play with the picture frame and its surface.

Beginnings :