Dawn No.2 oil on canvas 122×107 cm 2016 £3268

Since the spring of 2016 I have been working towards a series of paintings about the ancient standing stones and stone circles of West Penwith, for myself this is a long process requiring lot’s of visits, lot’s of drawings, and lot’s of time spent in and around these places. Often with projects like this I will start by painting close to the main subject, slowly through painting, different views in different seasons I will get to know the place. So this is one of those paintings in a series about this particular place, though this painting is focusing on the sunrise and bluebells near to Tregeseal stone circle rather than the stone circle itself……the Tregeseal stone circle painting is in progress and is somewhat larger…….

Here I am just yesterday Saturday 29th Oct 2016…….putting the last finishing touches to the painting. This is the most exciting part of painting for me…..all the months of drawing and painting and thinking and contemplating…..the mistakes…..yep….. lot’s of them.

me finishing the painting

All the processes  that a work of art goes through lead to these last moments. In many ways what you are left with at the end is just a final single image but what lies behind that is so much more……the  result of  months or sometimes years long project, throughout which the artwork changes and evolves with every new visit every change in circumstance to the place where it all started…..It might have begun in the summer, spring winter autumn or winter…..it might have been raining, snowing, windy, sunny, or a combination and then there’s the emotional and psychological state of mind…..all these things contribute…the memories the experiences, everything.

Rothko said it best when he was once asked how long his paintings took….he answered with his age. From beginning to end it might take months or years but in terms of experience and knowledge to arrive at that point……It takes a lifetime……