“A spit of land, a starry sky, the endless sea and a distant horizon are testament to the meditative power that is the landscape of the Outer Cape. Sacred and serene, it is sanctuary. This is what I want for these paintings.
On the surface they appear as a simplified composition, of limited palette and a straight line horizon. To meditate, we focus on the horizon. What is above, beyond, and beneath. It’s beneath the surface of these paintings that offers complexity and a secret surprise.
Beneath the surface my paintings glow. At first glance, they are straight forward, quiet memories of the place I hold dear. But when viewed with a black light another painting is illuminated. A swirling energetic underworld painting is revealed, adding a complexity that is invisible in the painting above. Who knew?!
My paintings are layers of bright colored pattern, metal leaf, patina, rust and craquelure. Sometimes I use fluorescent paint to increase the intensity of the underlying layers while contributing to the ones that follow. The fluorescence disappears as I cover it with patina or glaze, only to be revealed with the help of ultraviolet light. A revelation I never knew. Though I’ve been honing this process for years, it was during the making of these paintings that I discovered this surprise. While I was busy focusing on the horizon, and longing for peace, I found a delightful secret of my own design, added it to my bag of tricks found a joy that is my sanctuary.”
