New originals are here!
Creating new original monotypes is at the heart of my artistic practice. It's my unique way of "painting" without a brush. Producing a new series takes time and concentrated effort as each layer of colour needs careful consideration of how it's going to interlace with the previous ones. So I'm pleased to be able to share the following new landscape and seascape originals:
Red Sky at Night
Featured in my recent video, this large original monotype has a tremendous impact. The reds of the sky are very powerful: I was determined to take the colours and mark making in the sky to their limit. The craggy rocks and defiant lone tree are a suitable complement to the sky.
Stand in the Light
The isolated stand of trees is a feature of the English landscape and a powerful motif in myths and legends. One can almost imagine the trees coming to life! In this piece I aimed to capture the silhouette of the huddled trees against the strong colours of the fading light.
Sunset on the Rolling Hills
A summer sunset that radiates with soft colours. By changing the size of the trees, I was able to create a more distant panorama that has an expansive scale. There's a light hearted feel to the sweep of the land and the little trees that cloth the hill tops.
Crofter's Dawn
In this original monotype I was recalling memories of the Outer Hebrides where I had a family holiday years ago. The isolated croft (not a thatched one, but with a rusty iron roof) beckons as an amazing place to live and work. But I don't think I'm hardy enough to give it a go! I chose soft colours for the sky and a neutral palette for the land that seemed more suited to the natural colours of the area.
On the Moor (SOLD)
The inspiration for this piece came from the wide plateau of the North York Moors with broad sweeps of heather and isolated trees. The foreground is densely textured and incorporates a lace pattern right at the front that gives a sense of close up detail. There's a real pinky glow emanating from this piece.
A Silver Lining
Those of you from the North East may recognise the distinctive profile of Roseberry Topping. I aimed for a dark brooding sky with rays of light bursting forth as I'm sure you have sometimes seen. It's a difficult light effect to capture! The fields in this piece use my characteristic textures but this time with more distinctive hedgerows.
Dawn Light, St Mary's Island (SOLD)
This piece was commissioned by a local couple who have a special fondness for this well know North East landmark. The lighthouse is white in colour but, after a lot of consideration, I decided to be bold and show it silhouetted against a colourful dawn. Using the rainbow roll technique, I was able to use really luminous colours.
Sunset Afterglow (SOLD)
Sometimes when I work on a series of monotypes, a piece will take on a life of it's own and seem to know where it's going! So it was in this case. I was aiming for strong sky colours in this simple design but even I hadn't anticipated how they would give such a powerful effect. This time textures weren't the right option: a crisp black rocky foreground was all that was needed to complete the composition.
Final Colours
A sunset at sea is an irresistible art idea that can be re-visited many times in many ways. Continuing with my rainbow roll technique for the brighter part of the sky, I experimented with darker sky colours than I normally use for a really brooding look.
Eye of the Needle
The sea arch is a great motif for me as it creates a strong focus in a coastal seascape and allows the sky colours to shine through when I print the stencil of the rocks. This isn't a particular view, there are many sea arches around the UK, so it's an imagined one: the sea arch is a symbol rather than a known view in this piece.
These pieces are now available in my original monotypes shop. You'll find all the size and price details in there.
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