Acrylic on ply panel, 40x40x1cm. Can be hung as is or framed. Original painting signed on the front by the artist. Gloss finish
The collection of natural, modest and overlooked objects has become a ritualistic practice in my life. It began with the collection of leaves and seeds from the grey streets of Manchester, where I attended uni, and has since evolved into something I do everywhere I go. Through composition development and arrangement, I honour these profoundly beautiful objects, within and out of their original environment. The act of discovery has become a meditative practice and recurring theme in my work.
I revisit this theme almost as often as I discover more objects.
My immediate environment, the garden, is littered with the unseen; it has been nurtured for 12 years and will be for many more. It was planted from scratch and has grown into a lush and abundant environment for plants to grow. From late Summer to mid-Autumn, I drew my garden for a hundred days. I only drew with ink on brown paper with a bamboo stick for the entire project and kept to a small area of the garden. I was drawing a beautiful flowering eucalyptus one day and looked down rather than up. The leaf litter, mulch, gum nuts and stones spoke to me of my earlier series. This time the objects were left as found, as random garden litter, informing the finished paintings.