I absolutely love the colours, which now appear to be seriously enhanced, and the drama of this image and so I’ve embarked on a painting using it as a reference. For some very obvious reasons, doing it justice will not come via a replication even if I were a skilled photorealist, because it already has an inherent perfection. so my plan is to use the colours to map out the shapes and to make brush strokes and implied colour do the leg work of atmosphere.

So this is where I put that ‘how it started … how it turned out’ caveat because starting is one thing I know I can do but stopping before I’ve killed it is another matter altogether. That said, when an early iteration of a landscape looks like an ultrasound scan, (and don’t get me started on the Freudian symbolism of the tree), this is not the point at which to down brushes!

I think this is the point where I do something utterly brilliant (at least in my own eyes) or totally screw it up. In the meantime, a decent photo will make a good base for some AR fantasy. Even the crinkles in the paper up top will find a role.

25th October. I think I am done to the point where it will come off the easel and only be revisited if it catches my eye again. Maybe this is part of the ‘learning when to stop’ process.

SCH 2023

For a list of workshops, groups, conversations, and other activities see my dedicated page.