Recently completed

Sparkle precious leaves

It was the sense of utter peace and quiet that inspired this painting. I stood in the birch woodland and watched the autumn leaves fall to decay and absorption - to become the nutrient source for new life. The painting was begun in 1997 but set aside because I didn't think it was working. I have just finished re-working it .

The painting is acrylic on canvas 30" x 40" and the full title is a haiku -

Sparkle precious leaves
but fall gently
scarlet lies the grave 

Clare's 'Blue anemonie'

In his Natural History Letter IX, March 25th 1825, to James Hessey*, Clare made this reference to what he called the 'blue Anemonie'.

" ...you have often wished for a blue Anemonie the Anemonie pulsitilis of botanists & I can now send you some for I have found some in flower today which is very early but it is a very early spring the heathen mythology is fond of indul[g]ing in the metramorp[h]ing in the memory of lovers & heroes into the births of flowers & I could almost fancy that this blue anemonie sprang from the blood or dust of the romans for it haunts the Roman bank in this neighbourhood ....".

The flower is actually the pasqueflower pulsatilla vulgaris. This painting in acrylic and mixed media (acrylic textured paste, sawdust, gravel and humus) on canvas (20" x 16"), is my interpretation of this quote from Clare's letter.

*The Natural History Prose writings of John Clare. Ed Margaret Grainger, Oxford 1983, p61

Recent work

These three paintings have been completed since the last update.  They are  from the top -

Anima-animus - Oi on canvas - 20" x 16"

Baston Fen - Oil on canvas - 24" x 20"

Brambles in Hilly Wood - Oil on canvas - 16" x 20"

Broken willow

24" x 28"  Alkyd on canvas  Completed yesterday 5th February 2010

Hedge interior

20" x 16" Alkyd on canvas

This painting was completed 30th January 2010.  It is about getting inside a hedge, immersing myself in the textures of leaves and colours.