WATER -水-
Glimmer
The subject matter stays but my painting methods and expressions change. I have a tendency to focus on one thing and try to see it through until the point when I’m satisfied. Not always a positive trait and people around me have to suffer from time to time. Anyway, it is not surprising for me to be still gripped by the enigmatic beauty of water and endeavouring any ways to express it. Following the most recent two bodies of work (‘Where the deer cross’ and ‘Fluid strata’) for which I meticulously painted layers and layers of shapes, I needed to free myself and let the brush create less defined shapes that have been inprinted through the previous attempts to paint water.
Glimmer I, Acrylic on board, 30.5x30.5cm (Framed 34x34cm)
Glimmer II, Acrylic on board, 30.5x30.5cm (Framed 34x34cm)
Glimmer III, Acrylic on board, 30.5x30.5cm (Framed 34x34cm)
Where the deer cross
The farmland surrounding our house is named so because once upon a time it was where the deer crossed the river running through it. Place names like this stoke our imagination. Think about ancient time when the land was not even cultivated and river was running through dark woods, where the herd of deer crossed the river searching for food. Naturally, the water is normally shallow and you can get a glimpse of the riverbed through the running water.
Where the deer cross II, Acrylic and crayon on board, 45x61cm (Framed in grey 49.5x65cm)
Where the deer cross III, Acrylic and crayon on board, 45x61cm (Framed in grey 49.5x65cm)
Where the deer cross V, Acrylic and crayon on board, 45x61cm (Framed in grey 49.5x65cm)
Where the deer cross I, Acrylic and crayon on board, 61x45cm (Framed in grey 65x49.5cm)
Where the deer cross IV, Acrylic and crayon on board, 61x45cm (Framed in grey 65x49.5cm)
Fluid Strata
Sometimes I’m moved by the wonder of nature so much that I need to express it in paintings. What captivated me most recently is the interplay between light, water and what I may or not be able to see underneath. Three 76 x 76cm boards meant it would take a long time but I was ready for it. In the end it took about 9 months to complete them. I was relaxed about the slow progress for the first few months and then, the idea of a joint exhibition came up halfway through….. in an amazingly large gallery space. From then on, my studio time and stress level increased incrementally, as, of course, I needed to exhibit more than these three. Naturally I felt an incredible sense of relief and satisfaction when these were completed,
Fluid strata I , Acrylic on board 76x76cm
Fluid strata II, Acrylic on board 76x76cm
Fluid strata III, Acrylic on board 76x76cm
HUSH
Still fascinated by the dynamic nature of waters, I have a compulsion to stop and look down into the shallows and depths everytime I come across the sea, a river or lake.
This pair of paintings was a direct response to the force of water, rather than my MO - observing and translating over a long period of time. The result surprised me by its ‘Japaneseness’. While I do not intentionally express my heritage, I find no reasons to suppress it when it comes through in my work in various levels of subtlety.
Hush I, Acrylic and pigments on board, 80x80cm (Framed in black 83x83cm)
Hush II, Acrylic and pigments on board, 80x80cm (Framed in black 83x83cm)
BROOK - Serenity
‘Brook’ was inspired by minerally rich water passing through the Ystwyth valley (Ceredigion, Waes).
The passage of time can be right in front of our eyes, in such forms as changing light and shadows, moving clouds or ripples in water. Other times, it emerges only through gazing.
Without pausing, though, you can never see time itself.
Brook - Serenity I, Acrylic on borad 25x25cm (Framed 28x28cm)
Brook - Serenity II, Acrylic on board 25x25cm (Framed 28x28cm)
Brook - Serenity III, Acrylic on borad 25x25cm (Framed 28x28cm)
Brook - Serenity IV, Acrylic on borad 40x30cm (Framed in grey 44x34cm)
Brook - Serenity V, Acrylic on borad 30x40cm (Framed in grey 34x44cm)
Water seeking
This is part of my research into a more environmentary friendly paining practice, employing Nihon-ga (Japanese painting) material and technique but not using their traditional binder called nikawa that uses animal skin (I am a pescatarian). The outcome of my research did not support my shift from acrylic to Nihon-ga painting because; I didn’t achieve the desired transparancy with Pigment+binder, and also importing a lot of material from Japan means larger carbon footpring. I liked the flexibility of Japanese papers, however, and so may use them in the future. For the environment, I’m diligently filtering brush water before throwing it away.
Water seeking I, Mix Media (Powder pigments, Fish gelatine) on Mashi Paper 51x51cm (65x65cm framed with perspex)
Water seeking II, Mix Media (Powder pigments, Fish gelatine) on Mashi Paper 51x51cm (65x65cm framed with perspex)