1994 Gallery

In this work I was concentrating on improving my drawing skills so I worked monochromatically and chose single objects to form my compositions. Nature abounds in Arden so I was inspired to use interesting forms that I found on my walks as my subjects.

The scale of my paintings was an important feature of my work at the time. I worked large so I could push the paint around with a rag wrapped around my finger. I would tone a primed sheet of paper with sepia or burnt umber oil paint then wipe out the light areas with a rag until the form I was after appeared. The technique is similar to a sculptor chipping away at a block of granite but much more forgiving. Since oil paint only stays wet for 24 hours or so, I was finishing most of these pieces in one long sitting.