Thorn in my Background, the Sequel

I have realised most of my artistic skills have been learned through trial and error. For example, while painting the Molllusca Femella I faced a skirmish with the background tone due to my lack of confidence with light colours – as I mentioned in the article Thorn in my Background. After painting the subjects, I darkened the backgrounds using blue. Subsequently the subtle colours were overpowered, and the focus of the painting became unclear. After many frustrated applications of paint such as experimenting with gold, red and yellow I ended up painting the background blue again. A long period passed until the realisation that the background does not have to be a dark colour hit me. The reason the painting did not feel right was because I painted the subject on a canvas primed with white Gesso. Slowly, I started to make the blue lighter. It is only recently after submitting them to be marked that I have the courage to whitewash the backgrounds. When myself and my partner Jonathan, were enjoying a panad in our living and studio room, I became side-tracked from our conversation when viewing the Molllusca Femella series. The feeling to paint them overwhelmed me “Am I allowed to work into those paintings?” I mused aloud. “Only if you let me paint with you” replied Jonathan.

Below is the video of us painting the backgrounds white.

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The knowledge taken from this experience has been a valuable one. I have taught myself to paint the background before the subject to ensure that the painting is tonally harmonised. I have also realised the obvious, each painting has a different growing time. While some are done in one sitting, others like these, feel as if they will never be finished.

Go visit Jonathan’s website here.

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