Divine Comedy
Private collection Dubai
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This series was inspired by the writings of Dante, namely 'The Divine Comedy' written in the early 14th century.
The paintings depict the three worlds of the afterlife, Hell, Purgatory and Heaven. The goal of every Christian is heaven, the elect, so Dante has it, go straight there and lesser souls must purge themselves in purgatory. Dante called his great poem a comedy because following ancient writers, he believed that comedies begin tragically and end happily (tragedies being the opposite).The aspect of ending in ‘Paradise’, is thereby the greatest happiness of all.
My interpretation, rather different to Botticelli's fine illustrations, show the red flames of hell pointing up toward the suffusing layers of purgatory, this then rising to the golden bright white light of Paradise/Heaven.
The paintings depict the challenges of life, for example when at times going through a period of hell. They aim to show that it is good to focus on the up, the pushing on and up through the layers of purgatory, knowing and continually believing that you will reach a time of happiness, a paradise.
They are paintings of hope and optimism against great odds, that through whatever befalls you, the aim must always be up towards paradise/heaven and you will reach it. Hope, Faith, Trust.
The paintings are in Oil, with this medium of strong pigments I felt able to create a work that people could look into, losing themselves possibly within the painting through the blends of colour and resulting depth. Images can also be seen through the layers, or the viewer can find themselves drawn to one area more than another, this can signify perhaps where one feels in life at that time.
In the large canvases greater impact can be achieved, the triptych of 3 panels for example allows the viewer to fall into its infinite levels.
Energy
Private Collection Dubai
The ‘Energy series’ relates to the aspects depicted in some of my previous paintings of the sea spray and wind, however they also take the energy theme on further. This is by relating to the energy of a cell, its power and energy generated to grow, reproduce and multiply into various life forms and organisms.
These aspects also link, as can be seen by the shapes depicted, to that of the spheres or Orbes which can illustrate a spiritual energy, an energy force beyond our reasoning in this world, the connection to the next. Therefore these paintings also illustrate the cycle of life, the energy point from the beginning of matter to the relationship to spiritual energy, our mix with matter but also our step beyond.
Santé et Bonheur
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The ‘Santé et Bonheur’ series relates to the energy giving abilities of paintings. Therefore in this way they are not merely representations of scenes, a still life, people etc, they have additionally the power to give to the viewer and uplift. In doing this the viewer is seeing beyond the 2 dimensional qualities of the painting, even beyond the image depicted, into a realm that can resonate goodness and harmony. Through this an inner balance can be felt, a calming, healing energy which re-charges, and in my aim of promoting this, I hope can help a viewers possible health and happiness.
The examples which from as a student to now, proved to me that this healing, calming resonance was possible, were ‘the Cartoon of the Virgin Mary with Ste Anne’ by Leonardo di Vinci which exudes love, and the ethereal block paintings of Mark Rothko, Through their colour and luminosity his work pulsates an energy, Rothko's large canvases can produce varied, even extreme engulfing emotions from the viewer.
