Golden Soldiers, oil, acrylic and enamel on canvas, 112 x 140 x 4cm
Amber golden light, heavy with summer’s heat. I imagine the perfume of the flowers and feel the warmth of the sun. Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s sunflowers Golden Soldiers has been created with impasto oil and enamel paints. Golden Soldiers is incredibly vibrant. I wanted my sunflowers to be wild and free so created an expressionist background to create movement and bring an unkempt, raw quality to contrast against the beauty of the flowers. The garden is bathed in flecks of pale golden light amidst a wild brooding undergrowth of twisted curling branches and heavy leaves. A riot of bright yellow sunflower heads stand straight and bold, like soldiers on parade next to a mist of white daisies. Blue violet hydrangea overhang and shade the golden heads. I kept the initial layers of paint loose, focusing on colour and shape applied in an abstract expressionistic style. As the painting progressed I incorporated thick impasto oil paint to define the flowers. Oil, acrylic, enamel and ink were used in the creation of Golden Soldiers. It has been painted on high quality artist canvas on a handmade frame. All paintings are shipped in custom made wooden crates and come with a signed certificate of authenticity
