You might remember a glimpse of this study a while back ….here’s a closer look…….

The main focus to break down, build up, scrap off, sand through and back again to create surface…..and mabye build some emotion along the way.

Personally, I always find a disconnection when the art becomes more about the ‘artist image’, or about  his/her personality or lifestyle rather than the art. With only a select handful of our contemporary pop artists, after Warhol , I think few have mastered the balance as effectively.

It’s always been about the medium, the texture, the rhythm, that paint running through your veins. I always felt a heavy connection to  Lucian Freud, Odd Nerdrum, Jenny Saville, even Cecily Brown etc. because their directness. Less obsession, less tight camera rendering, less perfection…..less trying to perform the abilities of a machine….and most importantly less style.

What makes the dialogue so strong is that it’s rarely about making a pretty picture, and rarely about copying an image. The focus is about the psychology of painting, what it means to communicate, change and inspire your subject or viewer with only the  tools of the trade, and your mind.

“9 months” oil on canvas 36″ x 48″~~~Studio Studies.