5th ArtstyleArt entry - MODERN + AFRICA - 'Joanna'

Here is my entry - Really excited for this one! The theme is modern + Africa, with a nod to one of my favourite artists, Paul Gauguin, whom this painting was partially inspired by along with Matisse's Red Room.

Joanna, Oil on canvas, 2014

This painting was a breakthrough for me, my style completely shifted from surrealism to modern abstraction. This helped me to tell my stories in an ambiguous way, with lots of feeling in the texture and movement of the paint. In the process I was forced to use oil paints in exciting new ways.

One of my closest friends is from Malawi, and this painting encompasses the heat and liveliness that is totally representative of this country. It invokes memories of stories of Lake Malawi, and all the long, warm summer nights full of community and freedom of spirit. The painting was named after her for all of the feelings of Africa she would bring back to the UK - exuberance and a taste for adventure!

I used a red ground to lift the colours put on top. I then experimented with different mediums in the oil to ensure the warmth of the ground came through. I ended up using a mix of Spectra Gel (a thixotropic medium), turps and safflower oil to create a loose and malleable paint. This was a good consistency to maintain the brushstrokes you see above, describing dancing, movement and life. I make all of my canvas stretchers by hand, although this one was the first I used a stretching tool on! This made an excellent drum-like surface for these heavy paint mixes.

The other symbolic elements include the black cat I owned at the flat I lived in during this time, my rabbit who often appears in my dreams, exotic grasses and plants inspired by the lushness of Lake Malawi, and a mysterious figure in a gateway which I will leave to your interpretation.

I hope you enjoyed this post, please let me know your thoughts! If you have any questions about the techniques or mediums I used in this painting, please ask.

If you think this may be useful to other painters, please resteem!