Dissipation

This painting was selected by both The Penwith Gallery and St Ives Society of Arts for their Associate Members’ exhibitions. These are vibrant shows, with many artists submitting a wide variety of approaches to their subject. Many fine works do not make the final selection, so I was delighted to have been given this opportunity!

“Dissipation” began, as most of my paintings do, in my sketch book. A series of thumbnails and notes evolve until I feel ready to put paint to canvas (or board, in this case). Even though I have a composition mapped out, there is always the part that remains in the imagination; the part I need to hold on to tightly as I work, or the piece can wander off…

It took months to complete this piece – longer than most. Many layers of paint were applied, but the objective was always there, guiding me. 

It is about capturing a fleeting moment, coupled with a sense of something more solid, though these feelings tend to group and then separate again, hence the title.

Beyond that…I prefer to let the viewer go on their own journey.