A minimal red modern art painting with subtle blends of strong colours and shapes
Deceptively simple it may be but its effect is profound. Sometimes less really is more.
190cm x 85cm (75″ x 33″)
Neon Canyon
£1650
Seeing red
This original piece of red modern art is a very considered and beautifully executed piece. Its minimal approach has resulted in some very striking effects.
Sometimes you can make your point without having to shout. Often it’s the quietest of whispers that create the most impact.
So with Flowtation I decided to let the colours do the talking. Most noticeable at first glance is the deep telephone-box red that dominates the majority of the canvas. And it was also the first painting I did after completing the filming for a recent BBC TV art series. I think doing that helped me calm down a bit and let things flow a bit more freely.
Blending colour
However, on closer inspection this colour isn’t the only star – subtly blended inclusions of pink and charcoal grey also lend a hand to create a feeling of drama and of motion.
By placing these blended colours into the corners I am able to concentrate and focus the red colour into the centre where the main part of the loops structure is formed. This helps create some dimensional depth to the painting as is a neat trick to learn.
I have often used red and black as a combination in some of may large format artworks and I think of these two colours as in my top three to work with. Inevitably then things go pretty well when I use them together and this is no exception.
I may call it red modern art but in fact, to omit the importance of black in a description may be doing it a disservice! Anyway, you get the picture (no pun intended…)
Switching orientations
On this page I have included two photos of the painting showing it with the pink in the top left and bottom right corners. All my paintings can be turned in their orientation so that you can choose the best way to hang it. 
The interesting thing about this one however is that the main loop structure is almost perfectly centred and evenly distributed when you flip it – meaning that the painting is perfectly balanced no matter which way you hang it.
The loops stay in the centre; they’re not weighted to one side and don’t sit higher or lower when you turn the canvas through 180°. This wasn’t measured or calculated – it’s just practice!
The loops
After having talked about the base layer it’s worth noting the loops structure that forms the top. It has an easygoing, flowing nature (hence the name) and is constructed from white, gold and black paint.
The movement is a simple one and is free to cover the whole canvas as it gently winds its way from one side of the canvas to the other.
The painting would suit almost any wall and any lighting conditions. It’s perfect where splash of colour is required but where fussiness and drama is not.
It’s confident, reassured and has a deep, seductive quality thanks to the carefully selected palette of colours.
