I really do enjoy using multiple colours on the same canvas. Sometimes it’s from a familiar palette and at other times from unfamiliar ones. However, once in a while I like to just go for it and pretty much use them all!
200cm x 190cm (79″ x 75″)
includes UK delivery
I’ve never found it particularly easy to load up colours from the whole spectrum and put them together on one canvas. Additionally then, the need to come up with a new idea each time makes life doubly difficult.
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The questions I raise in my head seem to go on for a very long time before I know I’m ready to paint. How much colour, where, in what quantity, with what tools and how big.. blah blah blah the list goes on. It’s one reason why I don’t do this kind of painting that often. However, when I do, I go big. For something as grand as rainbow I don’t believe in translating that into something small. What’s the point?
I have used a piece of black canvas on one other painting, called Black Magic. It’s a little bit special and as a result is an expensive luxury. However it has some beautiful qualities on which to base a painting.
It’s dense weave carries a reassuring substance which is something you can feel when you touch it. It’s matt finish carries a seductive finality to it that sets off the rainbow colours magnificently. And being an unusual thing it helps the painting feel that bit more unique too.
There are quite a few techniques going on here. I’ve used a roller in some parts (mainly noticeable towards the aqua green) and I have used a chrome spray paint which is something I’ve never used before. They’ve given the painting some nice touches.
The paint is my usual enamels but I have tinkered about with them a lot on this occasion and the result has given me the ability to really play with the paint a lot more than normal. Taking photos is never going to translate how deep and varied the paint textures and techniques are even though I try very hard to take a decent pic.
The most obvious requirement for a big painting like this is having the wall space to hang it upon. So having established that lets also suggest that a decent amount of light is also desirable. Having said that it only takes a few well positioned spotlights to take the place of a big window.
Colour schemes are less important thankfully. This is due to the vast array of colours that populate the large expanse of canvas. I guess it would probably do best in a neutral environment but having said that it would be very interesting to see what it looked like in a themed colour space.
The depth of colour is actually very soothing as well as being joyous. What is surprising is that it doesn’t feel crowded or chaotic when you share the same space with it. I like that. It means you can go nuts without being sectioned. I’ll take that.
