Oil
Watercol
Digital
Sculpture
Events
G662A Imagining Happiness
Oil on canvas
Jul to Sep 2014, Size 843x590 mm
|
|
|
|
G662A Imagining Happiness
Oil on canvas Jul to Sep 2014, Size 843x590 mm |
|
|
|
About this painting
An idea that jumped into my head during a day trip to Manchester Art Gallery, and a look once more at one of my favourite paintings there, the moody and romantic 'Sappho' by Auguste Charles Mengin. I drew a sketch of an alternative, something with the ragged rawness of a grey sky and ochre rocks, but from the heavy feeling of being trapped I wanted to add a dream, a hope of happiness and escape. The image of a hulking brown rock figure in a grey-skied seascape was instantaneous, and I saw a hole in the head of blue sky, a thought of freedom.
More was needed, in particular the painting cried for red. A tree on this whale-like monolith seemed perfect, complete with a ragged red flag. Then I thought, no, not a flag, but a balloon burst; a red balloon the symbol of childhood and innocence, of freedom and simple pleasures, now blown to the wind in the storm. What remains is the dream of blue sky and calm sunshine, always there despite the rain. |
|
|
|