'Till' — Mixed Media on Canvas

'Till' — Mixed Media on Canvas

The word 'till' carries multiple meanings that are relevant to this painting: the tilling of soil, the preparation of ground for planting; the geological term for the unsorted sediment deposited by glaciers; and the more colloquial sense of a drawer or container. All of these meanings resonate with the painting's subject — the worked, layered surface of the Fenland landscape, and the way that surface holds the evidence of its own history.

Mixed Media and the Worked Surface

The painting was made using a combination of media on canvas, with the surface built up through successive applications and removals of material. The process of tilling — of turning over and reworking — is reflected in the painting's own making: layers are applied, scraped back, and reworked, with earlier passages remaining visible beneath later ones.

The palette is earthy and restrained, drawing on the colours of the Fenland soil: dark browns, ochres, and the particular grey-green of the landscape in winter. The composition is horizontal, reflecting the flatness of the terrain, with the horizon line placed low to give the sky its characteristic dominance.