These drawings are made on paper using a unique process that the artist has developed. Chosen for its distinctive qualities, the paper is stretched over wooden frames in the same way a canvas is usually produced. Some drawings are subsequently mounted on panel.
To begin, a figurative drawing is made in charcoal. This ‘cartoon’ is then used as a guide for broad brush strokes applied on a richly coloured ground. Materials are chosen for their ability to absorb or resist colour from previous layers, resulting in work made with ink, acrylic and oil paint. As many as nine layers are used to suggest depth and introduce light and shade.
The brush strokes are rehearsed and the drawings you see here are, without exception, not the first draft of each image. The images have to be learned through repetition until they seem to appear without conscious direction.
This is the first presentation of this collection. Individual pieces from this series have already been selected for exhibition at the Royal Cambrian Academy, The Ferens gallery and others.