UNDERTOW

This painting is being exhibited at the

Oystercatcher in Falmouth, Cornwall. To purchase please contact the gallery via this LINK.

The meaning of the word ‘undertow’ pretty much describes this painting. When I stand on a beach in front of a riptide, I feel the energy of the outward force that can easily draw you out to sea and the strong undercurrent of a wave that can physically pull you under. The energy in this work, along with the dark areas and the subtle suggestion of menhir like stones in the bottom centre of the painting, suggest something that exists and moves under the surface.

I have used a combination of acrylic paint, mixes of cerulean blue, burnt ochre and phthalo turquoise, as well as titanium white and mars black. The paint has been applied using different sized brushes and a silicon wedge. I have also applied deep intense patches of charcoal, as well as soft pastel lines and smudges to add different textures and intensity. This painting is built up of layers which have been applied and removed as part of the process of arriving at the finished piece.