The space between painting and sculpture
Creating a sense of the third dimension in painting is a challenge, but there are different ways to render lo depth and recession. Expressive painters like Van Gogh, Willem de Kooning, Frank Auerbach and Anselm Kiefer are known for their liberal use of paint, the kind of paint that has a palpable and tactile presence. In the work of German artist, Anselm Kiefer, the density of material applied to the canvas projects beyond the surface and occupies the realm of low relief sculpture. He often attaches real objects to the work, breaking the boundary between painterly illusion and reality.
In this painting, titled 'A Warmer latitude' I have used a combination of bitumen, plaster, oil and cold wax. The painting has undergone many changes and is virtually unrecognisable from the first few exploratory layers. In the early stages, plaster was applied thickly, and before drying, etched with an assortment of knives and sharp tools. Bitumen, diluted with turpentine was used to stain the canvas and strengthen the tonal contrast between raised edges and deeper marks. The foreground has been modelled in oil paint squeezed straight from the tube. Latterly, a heat gun has been used to meld the wax with the oil, thus introducing new and unexpected textures and tonal qualities not readily achievable with conventional painting techniques.
I sometimes think that my training in ceramics has had a powerful influence on the way I use paint.
Clay is remarkable for its ability to record a vast range of marks and impressions and the effects that can be achieved with the interaction of oxides and stoneware glazes can be simply breath-taking. The intense heat of the kiln provides the element of chance without which a piece can often be consigned to predictable conformity. In many ways, I could be considered a frustrated sculptor or ceramicist, forever striving to recapture the spontaneity of a 1200-degree centigrade glaze firing.
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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I ship paintings worldwide, and they are professionally and securely packaged for National and International courier services. They are delivered to your home in a reinforced box within 3-5 days of your order. You can buy my art online and order a painting or request a commissioned piece by contacting me directly using the contact form.
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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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