Rising Tides

The what and the how

Rising Tides is an original contemporary painting created with a series of loosely defined bands of colour. I used metallic Swarez blue (my own colour) together with metallic gold, black and white.

These bands were applied using a window squeegee (yes, you heard that correctly!). I mixed my paints and then dragged them across the canvas repeatedly until I got the look I was aiming for.

This is not a new technique by any means but it does bring different results every time I do it. Things like paint consistency, volume and proximity to opposing colours are always producing variations I cannot predict – it’s one of the reasons I love this technique so much.

In itself, the process is a very delicate one. I have to mindful of the pressure I place upon the squeegee blade because this determines things like paint thickness and how far each application goes (the harder the force the thinner the layer but the further it goes).

The power of blue and gold

It is the role of the blue and gold that makes this abstract painting a success. I carefully placed a band of gold at the top edge to catch light and to let the painting almost fall off the top. This corresponds nicely to the darker band at the base which is the point everything grows from.

The combination of blue and gold is a classic and one I love to use wherever I can. I have another similar painting on the site called Golden Shores which is the same colour palette and technique.

What strikes me the most when I first look at this painting is the gentle nature of it. I get feelings of clouds and mist and the rousing sounds of the oceans. Sit for a moment and imagine that. I also see horizons and land masses,, but you may see something completely different.