Tundra

Black and blue

It’s a great combination of colour and one I have become obsessed with in the last six months.

Black and blue have powerful earthy qualities and stand in a very singular way against many other colours I use. Sometimes they can be cold and harsh, sometimes heavy and oppressive but in Tundra they have become liberated and free.

Land on your own moon

Art is such a personal thing; the emotions it generates are entirely unique and always our own. So choosing to love a painting like Tundra will come down to a split second reaction that’s more commonly known as our gut feeling.

Liking is one thing but paying a big sum of money for it is another. So what does it take to want to bring this into your life on a permanent basis?

Individuality

The self-generated desire to stand away from the crowd. The belief that you are, in some way, different from most of the other people you know. Not better, just different. For those of us who feel like this it’s a lifelong pursuit of trying to fit in where we don’t belong. Round pegs in square holes kind-of-thing.

But there comes a point where you realize there is no point anymore.

That’s when you know that you’ve found the path that’s right for you. This abstract painting is, for me, a reflection of just that. It won’t be for everyone and that’s good. It will be right for just one person, and when they find it they will know instantly.

That’s the power of paintings like this. The further down the path of individuality they go the stronger the emotions they create.

Techniques and application methods

The whiteness of the canvas has been thoughtfully respected as it was critical to leave enough of it for the painting to breathe. The main composition has been focused in the middle whilst the more loose applications have been whisked off towards the edges.

The black rivers have been kept to two areas and it’s these that from the backbone of the painting; the bits that anchor the lightness of the blue and gold colours.

The bulk of the paint was poured on then treated to a chemical thinning medium to coax the paint into moving. Subsequent paint applications saw the use of wooden spoons, syringes, a turkey baster and a couple of squeezy tomato sauce bottles. Silver and gold were the last colours to go on and these have added a wonderfully deep, refractive element as light bounces across it.

Who mentioned the cold?

My focus group have had a very wide range of reactions and observations to this painting. From those saying it made them feel cold to one telling me it reminded him of his time living in France. Another said it was a man in a top hat riding a horse (I can see that actually).

Interestingly a few commented that it felt cold and distant whilst others said it was warm and reminded them of ocean breezes on a warm sunny day. This is why I have my focus group – 25 carefully chosen men and women from all walks of life. They are the barometer for my work.

Conclusion

Whatever feelings it conjours for you will be your own to embrace. If you get something from it – good or bad – then at least I have done my job because that’s the whole point. And you don’t have to fall in love with something to enjoy it or want to see it again; you just need a little curiosity and be willing to challenge yourself from time to time.