Totnes Downhill

A landscape painting, in oils on primed gessoed board, under painted in umber and burnt siena. The skyline is bold and graphic, the patchwork of fields and rolling hills lend a natural structure to the view throughout the seasons. Devon red clay soil and late summer shadows toward a windy sky. The process of landscape drawing using found pigments and natural tools, making free gestural marks and simple tones is followed by more considered studies and drawings. My paintings are generally planned and worked out from the drawing and studies that I make. The resulting works are then viewed in the studio and the paintings emerge.

Turbulent skies converge with undulating earth tones in this captivating landscape. The brushwork presents an energy reminiscent of the Post-Impressionist movement, lending a feeling of urgency to the receding hills and fields. Earthy hues swirl together, creating a tactile quality, while darker shadows underlie the scene, suggesting a richness and complexity. This piece challenges conventional ideas of a tranquil countryside, instead revealing a fluid interaction of forms and colors that feels raw and unrefined. The viewer is prompted to question the relationship between earth and sky, chaos and order. Emotional currents run through, leaving one to ponder the ever-changing connection between nature and emotion.