"Bosporthennis" oil on board, 75cm x 106cm. This painting had been languishing in an abyss of doubt for over a year and needed an energy that I was nervous to commit to. So much time had gone into its foundation layers that I really didn’t want to muck it up. The lower layers were applied in a controlled/designed way to compositionally create the impression of movement/turbulence. To create a visual depth, I thought it might work to actually have the upper layers painted in a different technique, to actually paint in a fast gestural way, the aim being that the difference would separate them, giving defined layered depth, but the comparable narrative of movement would harmonise them (a counterpoint thingy). The snail wasn’t ready to turn into a tornado just yet though to find out; didn’t think it would take over a year for it to happen though! Still, paintings tell you when the time is right to go for it I reckon and, as I said, I was in no rush to mess this one up. Fortunately two things happened recently to fire up my soul. The first was a visit to Jethro Jackson’s studio up in the wilds of North Cornwall; it was great to see such strong painterly mark making alongside great narrative and lovely chats… I’ll admit that I nicked one of his birds of prey heads and made it into a headland (just loved the shape). The second was mucking up two paintings to the point where restorative measures required apoplectic gestures and whilst I was in the mood I grabbed this painting off the floor and went for it; thankfully, the time taken to mix the white spirit, linseed oil, liquin and pigment meant that I didn’t go too over the top with it. Whilst I’m jabbering about pigment I’ve changed my paint to Michael Harding’s oils and it’s like I’m having to re-learn how to paint, but blimey, the rich velvety pigment heavy yumminess is worth the effort. Anyhoo I digress, this painting includes the Bosporthennis bee-hive hut, winding roads, fields, bird of prey headland (thank you Jethro), sea gull from above, me sketching and a close observation on nearby porphyritic crystals in the granite which I thought resembled standing stones but this painting is mainly about an experiment to look busy through movement and yet have a solidity to it… an elements and stone sort of vibe. Hopefully gunna be on show in February at The Penwith Gallery, St.Ives.