Spectral Dynamics

Life. Energy. Colour.

Spectral Dynamics is a new painting created with these three things in mind. I wanted to celebrate life and what better way to do that than with colour. We often live in a world that seems quite monotone and repetitive so what better way to break out of that and remind yourself that the gift of life is precious and should be celebrated wherever possible. This painting, to me, is a reminder of that.

Colour plays such an important role in our lives and can fundamentally change our moods and behaviours in a heartbeat. It has the ability to trigger memories, emotions and ideas. In this painting I chose a vibrant and uplifting selection that works in harmony with each other. There are no dull or dark places in this world – only light, air and wonder. This is how I feel when I stand in front of it.

I get warm tropical oceans and remote islands but I also get a bustling cityscape at night. This is anther layer to the piece – the ability it has to change how you perceive it and how you interact with it. One moment you feel one thing, the next moment you feel another. It really is quite an amazing experience. This is why I talk about energy. It has so much of it.

The creation

I used a couple of different sized window squeegees for the paint movements. It may seem like an odd tool to use but it’s a very effective one. I essentially go back and forth around all sides of the canvas moving paint into small arcs to create the shapes. As things progress, I have to be more and more considered in paint placement in order to create the depth of layers that I want to get.

A glance into the centre feels like you could almost step right into it. I can achieve that effect by building up the arc movements from the centre to the outside – being more frequent as I move to the edges.

But the biggest problem I have to overcome in these kinds of paintings is the blending of paint as I drag one colour over another. There is only so much dragging a paint colour can stand before it becomes muddy so there is a lot of judgement involved in where a colour should be placed.