Cerulean Canopy, acrylic and oil on canvas, 150 x 100 x 2 cm
Cerulean Canopy is a painting filled with the feeling of cool shade. Layers of cerulean, turquoise, violet and soft green drift across the canvas, caught between dark, expressive branches and flashes of pale, open space.
I wanted the painting to have the sensation of standing beneath a canopy on a warm day, looking upwards through tangled leaves and blossom. There is movement everywhere, yet the overall feeling is peaceful. The deeper branches create structure beneath the softer, translucent colour, while loose drips and painterly marks give the surface a sense of spontaneity and freedom.
For me, Cerulean Canopy is less about a particular place and more about a feeling: cool air, dappled shade and that wonderful sense of calm found beneath the shelter of trees.
