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A re-worked top-right corner, a 'mast' on the bottom-pier and an invasion/simplification of Cerulean blue has brought a new elegance to this painting!

 

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12 JULY 2022

Why does one go back to a painting, announced, presented, polished off? With this painting, I was always troubled by the colour, something missing between the yellow and the blue. Looking again at Matisse's 'Dance 2' and 'Music' was a reminder of the power of expressive colour. I was compelled to re-look, rework this painting. The earlier version (below) has its' own strengths, especially the colour-hum in the top right-corner, but In comparison to the final piece, it seems more polite, more static, stop/start, stop/start... I think every painting has false certainties of resolution. I feel giddy with the bravery of going back and risking losing something that was nearly there. Not really a choice though, is it? 

 

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The new oranges - slabs within curves - then a paring down of the red pier hanging from the blue, have brought more flow and glow, the weight of the central orange now dominating the drawing, giving a pure, colour sensation with the blue, 'colour that grips the eyes'. Sweeping movement from curves and line and a new optical movement of shimmering colour. The other key moves were taking out the jigsaw-shape on the top-edge with a blob of Cerulean Blue and punching through the orange line to the top of the painting, the large harbour-shape, now tilting/tumbling to the right instead of being pulled to the left. With the changes, the bottom curve is now free and a triumph of complexity, the Cobalt Blue brushmark on the right-edge more prominent. 'Five Piers', now, is less graphic, more a painting, with an exciting vitality and punch.  Less detail, more colour...love it!

 

 

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