Divine Brilliance

Divine Brilliance is an original oil canvas; 45.7 x 45.7mm, Framed - $695

I started Divine Brilliance on the same day that I started McCrae’s Promise.  McCrae’s Promise was in the mid afternoon, and I started this piece as the evening sunset began to take over the sky.

I actually started 3 other pieces the day I created this painting. In the early morning/afternoon I started each painting with the intent to paint in different styles - one more realistic, one with my ’pointillism / dots approach’ and then one with the palette knife. The first two had been set aside (you can only put so much oil paint on the canvas before you have to stop, to prevent the colours getting muddied) and I had started on (what has now become McCrae’s Promise).

The first (the realistic) ended up having another painting fall onto it - which ripped a big gash in the canvas. Goodbye 1.5 hours of work! Truth be told, I don’t so much enjoy painting realistically as it makes me feel too constrained. (There are also many other artists much better at realism to me… so it was easy decision to leave that painting in the rubbish)

The second - my ‘dot’ style approach, remains incomplete… my attention never drawn back to it as I found the lure of the palette knife proved too strong!

Over the past few years as I’ve set aside more time to paint I’ve felt a need to be less constrained in my approach. Since 2019, I’ve started turning my canvas upside down and onto their sides as I paint in an effort to create less restriction.

With the discovery of the palette knife, I’ve found an extension of this sense of freedom of movement and concept. And I love the intensity of colour I am able to achieve. (When you paint with a brush, you are dipping it into turpentine or a medium to make the paint less viscous. The dilution allows the paint to trail across the canvas more easily… but lessens the intensity of the colour).

Funnily, I’m also being drawn to work seated on the ground at the moment, rather than standing at my easel.

I generally prefer to work on much bigger canvases than the pieces I’ve created for this exhibition. Bigger canvas allows for bigger movement and greater mental freedom as I make my marks. I’ve recently seen an artist using a squeegee to paint with… I’m looking forward to the heart-full exploration to come!

I just need more wall space! … or I’ll have to start selling more art ;)

Divine Brilliance - inspired by this divine sunset.

The actual sunset the night I started Divine Brilliance. This view is from the studio space at our home in McCrae. (Also available as a retreat space for Artists, Business coaches and Yoga, Meditation & Wellbeing leaders. Details here.