A series of abstract water paintings- Summer 2023
Above 'Water Sonnet' 110 x 110cm, acrylic on canvas.
I have recently completed a new series of abstract water paintings inspired by memories of being close to water. Specifically- childhood holidays, dog walks along the estuary and meditative moments spent gazing into the pond in my local park. These are the reference points for this latest collection of work which combines some new techniques I've been testing using dry pigments floated in fluid paint.
Creating a feeling of being submerged or floating above the surface are just two of the responses I have been hoping to give to the viewers of these paintings. I've upscaled some of the pieces, working up to 100 x 100cm, which I love to do although, I could really do with a bigger space to develop this idea further!
As with most of my work, this collection came about by just following what I love doing most- playing with paint and a couple of ideas in this studio. I began most of these paintings with mark making using natural brushes collected from my garden and walks along the estuary. Some of this was filmed by a local photographer and I look forward to sharing some of the footage on a new blog post soon.
The paintings can currently be viewed 'in the flesh' together at The Squeeze Cafe on Leigh Broadway, Leigh on Sea, you can also view these online here
I kept a visitor's book on the recent Leigh Trail and asked people to leave quotes on how they felt about the work, here are a few.....
"Richly evocative work, which makes me connect with my own memories of water"
"The shimmering colour in Velvet Waters reminds me so much of the surface of a lake and yet it feels so abstract"
"Beautiful layering and use of colour, I love the dark murky tones in Recollections"
"Too many favourites to mention! Very inspiring work"
If you are interested to learn more about any of these pieces please get in touch with me, I will always reply to your emails! hello@clairehankeyartist.com
