July 2020
No. Thirteen
'Jerusalem'
Oil on Canvas
36" x 48"
'Jerusalem'
Oil on Canvas
36" x 48"
No. Fourteen
'Jerusalem II'
Oil on Canvas
36" x 48"
'Jerusalem II'
Oil on Canvas
36" x 48"
Looping back
After the outpouring of 'They & Us', I wanted to loop back to the under-painting of #9,
to revisit the delight I felt at the simplicity of the overlapping lines,
the flattened form..
to revisit the delight I felt at the simplicity of the overlapping lines,
the flattened form..
Playfully careful - carefully playful
I’ve never been to Jerusalem, but saw these warm sandy tones and muted calm blues and rust reds as tones of the Holy Land,
that if ever I shall go there these are the colours I might see.
In the preliminary sketch of #13, it came down in one.
All I had to do was translate it to the canvas.
It was a delight to work in this different style, it is a way I like to paint - playful, yet careful.
that if ever I shall go there these are the colours I might see.
In the preliminary sketch of #13, it came down in one.
All I had to do was translate it to the canvas.
It was a delight to work in this different style, it is a way I like to paint - playful, yet careful.
Thinly applied paint,
rubbing off, filling in,
areas gently darkened,
shapes pushed back, others brought forward,
adding, taking away, adding, taking away,
slowly building up layers.
rubbing off, filling in,
areas gently darkened,
shapes pushed back, others brought forward,
adding, taking away, adding, taking away,
slowly building up layers.
Rub. Fill. Repeat.
The grafted branch
The olive branch can be grafted,
not only to bring vigour to the old tree
but to bring the new shoot the strengths and nourishment of the root-stock.
not only to bring vigour to the old tree
but to bring the new shoot the strengths and nourishment of the root-stock.
I call this 'Jerusalem' because it all came together around this olive branch.
Inspired by a verse in the book of Romans,
Romans 11: 17, 18
I suddenly understood my position within my faith as having deep connection to the old testament, to Israel, to Judaism.
Inspired by a verse in the book of Romans,
Romans 11: 17, 18
I suddenly understood my position within my faith as having deep connection to the old testament, to Israel, to Judaism.
It was a new way of seeing, a deeper truth.
'Jerusalem' is an expression of the joyful connection that bloomed in my heart.
'Jerusalem' is an expression of the joyful connection that bloomed in my heart.
Looping back to 'Love & Loss'
The plinth and jar standing in the sea
harkens straight back to the allegorical realism of the 'Love & Loss' series.
harkens straight back to the allegorical realism of the 'Love & Loss' series.
As soon as I finished #13, I immediately knew I wanted to pattern the olive branch.
My fascination with pattern is ever growing...
My fascination with pattern is ever growing...
Wallpaper sky
This idea of a wallpaper sky is holding me in this new realm of magical realism,
and I find here, with No. Fourteen,
a sweet cohesion of past and present styles,
lending each other a crossing-over between the magical and the real.
and I find here, with No. Fourteen,
a sweet cohesion of past and present styles,
lending each other a crossing-over between the magical and the real.
