Mike Tyson, the world renowned art critic? 'Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth'

I am pleased to announce that I will be exhibiting my artworks at the Affordable Art Fair in Hampstead, London, from May 5-8, 2022. Complimentary tickets are available; please contact me if you are interested in obtaining a pair for any of the fair's days, starting tomorrow. Visit my collection at stand i7, where they will be showcased alongside other remarkable artists with Linton59.

'The First Temple'

Photography is an exceptional process for creating images; however, it has certain limitations, particularly in capturing the texture and subtlety inherent in painting. A fundamental aspect of my work is the significant weight and accumulation of paint on the canvas surface.

'The First Temple' Detail

This thick application of oil and cold wax is a crucial element of my visual language and artistic expression as a painter. Capturing the tangible essence of oil paint with a digital camera is challenging, so I employed strong directional lighting and a macro lens to highlight the tactile aspects of the artwork. I hope this provides you with an insight and a feel for the physicality of my latest landscape paintings.

'The First Temple' Detail

I am occasionally asked about my approach to beginning a painting, where my inspiration originates, and what my objectives are. I could explain that I meticulously plan each composition through a series of plein-air sketches and that I develop these preliminary ideas in my studio before transferring the final design to canvas.

I might also claim that I systematically build each successive layer of oil and cold wax, but that would not be accurate. It's not that I lack a plan; indeed, I have one. It would be impossible to commence without some objective or a sense of direction.

'The First Temple' Detail

Any plan inevitably encounters the limitations imposed by the material known as paint. Paint, much like my cat, has its own will and resists being manipulated into any role or action it is unwilling to perform. Mike Tyson aptly expressed this sentiment when he famously stated, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

Paintings often deliver unexpected challenges, akin to a metaphorical "punch in the mouth." I have frequently contemplated the complexities of painting, yet I remain far from resolving the longstanding dichotomy between representation and abstraction.

'The First Temple' Detail

There exists a constant tension, a dynamic interplay in both directions, where the middle ground is strewn with the remnants of unfinished ideas and partially realized possibilities.

In this painting, for instance, the composition is intentionally awkward, accommodating modernist influences. You may also detect elements of impressionism, fauvism, and expressionism within this work. The paint is applied in excessively thick layers, often serving as tentative exploratory efforts, venturing into uncharted territories. A profusion of color both conceals and reveals in equal measure, with fleeting appearances being abruptly removed and, just as inexplicably, reinstated.

'The First Temple' Detail

The scenario resembles a game of chance and necessity, akin to pinning the tail on the donkey as if it were a matter of life and death.

The composition serves as another battleground; the vertical, rhythmic, and orderly arrangement of the trees is more about maintaining the flatness of the picture plane than suggesting spatial depth and recession. However, it remains a compromise, a form of aesthetic indecision. Yet, I have observed something else, beyond my focus on the conventions of visual perception. The regimented line of trees may be more than just a pictorial element.

'The First Temple' Detail

From a symbolic standpoint, one might perceive the trees as a continuous wall or an improvised barrier, with scarcely enough space for a person to pass through.

Extending this metaphor, the trees resemble vertical prison bars, obstructing entry and escape, and separating us from the 'secret of things'. Numerous writers have noted that 'Painting' is an irrational activity lacking clear utilitarian value. However, the interaction of line, tone, texture, and color exerts a silent influence on us all, provided we are willing to dedicate time and look beyond our initial impressions.

'The First Temple' Mixed Media on Canvas

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Thank you for reading my contemporary art blog. Please take the opportunity to look at my collection of paintings in the online gallery. All of my paintings are original artworks on high-quality canvas frames. If you are interested in purchasing a specific painting, please get in touch to check current availability or to discuss a commission. Please contact me.

About Artist

I am a UK based abstract landscape painter/artist with a range of compelling and popular original mixed media paintings available to buy. You can follow my artistic practices, latest artworks and painting techniques and news by reading my contemporary art blog.

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Each artwork will arrive unframed with painted edges, ready for you to hang. If you wish to frame a painting, you can make a direct request at an extra cost or contact your local framing shop.

Previous Exhibitions

I am a British artist based in Ely, Cambridgeshire and my work is sought by collectors here in the UK and worldwide. I have exhibited recently at the Battersea Affordable Art Fair, The Babylon Gallery in Ely, The Art in East Anglia Gallery, in Bury St Edmunds, The Darryl Nantais Gallery in Linton, The Michael House Centre and The Locker cafe in Cambridge. I also have collections of my artwork in prestigious office settings in major towns and cities throughout the country.

Materials Used

I work in mixed media, oil, cold wax, acrylic, bitumen and on both medium and large-scale canvases. My techniques involve a range of techniques and processes including, drawing, painting, collage, printing and mixed media applications. My main subject matter is landscape and abstraction and many of my paintings are located somewhere between figurative and non-figurative approaches to image-making.

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