It’s been a summer of heat, rain, fierce lightning and wild winds. But most of all, for me it has been a time of blissful immersion in a new series of large paintings.
People often ask me how I keep working with such persistence, how I manage to stay motivated. And the answer is that the work keeps me working. When a series of paintings is on the gallery walls, my thoughts are already engaged with the next series. At any given time, the works-in-progress in the studio are prompting questions and spawning ideas for the next body of work.
So it is that the final painting I made for the show in September at Everglades Gallery, entitled ‘Late Thursday’, rekindled my curiosity about two of my artistic heroes - Mark Rothko and Caspar David Friedrich. Both these artists taught me valuable lessons about drawing the viewer in, as if to the edge of a precipice. This sense of falling into deep space is evoked in ‘Late Thursday’ and it is this experience that my new paintings explore.
As well as painting I have spent a few vital hours workshopping my vision and goals for 2025. This is an annual practice that sets my course for the year - guiding my use of time and resources. It acts as a compass - an essential piece of equipment to take on any adventure. What makes this year’s plan a little different is that I have already scheduled unstructured, creative playtime.
Work and play, play and work - the two seem at odds, yet in practice, they need to dance together for the magic to happen.
If this resonates with you and you’d like to embrace a creative exploration in 2025, then check out the retreat I am offering later in the year in the Blue Mountains. On the clifftop of Blackheath, with beautiful accommodation and astounding views, we will have four days of painting, meditation, yoga, bushwalking, delicious meals and great company!
Best wishes for the coming year!
A new year and a new body of work… following a compass into to the unknown