'Porthleven 75 (The Last Room/ICON)' 45x35cms
'This painting was inspired by Rothko's reds in the Seagram Murals, currently on show in the last room at Tate St. Ives. Into a scenario/composition based on 'Red on Maroon Mural, Section 4' 1959, I instinctively placed the iconic clocktower into Rothko's vertical central space, before breaking down the structure to reveal my harbour. Every red in my paintbox, I think...'
In progress, Mark Rothko, paint-pots
'Porthleven 76 (Hot Red)' 70x60cms
After the adrenalin and excitement of a new painting, you have to get up and do it again. The blank canvas awaits. If 'Porthleven 75' was inspired by Rothko, this latest work made me think of these inspiring words from Frank Auerbach: 'What I'm trying to make is a stonking, independent, coherent image that has never been seen before..that stalks the world like a new monster...'
On a yellow ground, with a confusion of marks and strong black drawing, I introduced floods of yellow and orange, both mixes including a new colour, Michael Harding French Yellow Ochre (No. 133). The right-side switched from yellow to blue, then the left to create a frisson with the orange. I seemed to be re-visitng the concept of 'hanging-harbour'...The division into three equal sections troubled me so I brought in a new hot red (including French Yellow Ochre) to create imbalance and energy/movement. The breakthrough came with reversing the canvas and a new tension with the spring of the bottom-line and the small red-shape, flexing its muscles in a sea of blue.
In progress
