Mixed media on hardboard 8" x 8"Something weird happened. Like all painters I have my current "favourite" paintings. I realised that all these favourite paintings had shared elements. Most were figurative with a couple of still lifes. But the most important finding was that all these paintings had a lot of "variation" in the colour planes. There was very little "uniformity" in paint application which is not the same as saying they were "textured" but I don't know how to describe it. I decided to take one of these paintings and copy it. But my inner voice kept saying - what are you doing that for - do your own painting and put variation into the colour planes. So I worked from my imagination and this is what came out. It's a recurring theme for me - family and northern town, urban, suburban. I suppose it's history.
It's mixed media because I did most of the under-work in acrylic, kept using the paint quite dryly and using rough and fine grade sandpaper to stop myself getting "precious" about it. I used a small screw driver to scratch onto the surface as well. But then I ended up getting the water mixable oils and working my "top layer". I am not sure it is finished but it was different and satisfying to do.
