Charred Kelp, Kelp, Bladderwrack, Ochre Earth
2022
50 x 70cm

This works invites the viewer to explore the aesthetic of interior and exterior spaces through gentle, gestural strokes. The work evokes a breathing quality, inhaling and exhaling in place. There is a feeling of moving forward while edging backwards simultaneously, as in an echo. Ethereal hues are offset by monochromatic strokes and neutral colours.  The use of positive and negative space has created a striking composition. 

Cotton rag paper has been drenched in water. As the liquid soaked into the fibres it caused the paper to buckle and swell creating undulations across the surface. Charred kelp pigment was then washed onto the paper and sprayed with water which caused them to move across the surface leaving behind trails of pigment.  Speckles and sprinkles of earth pigment, kelp and bladderwrack ink were then dropped onto the work. Depending on the viscosity of the drip, the saturation of the paper and the layers of pigment already on the page, each new drip reacted differently, often pooling in the troughs and dips or diffusing into specific areas. The work combines movement and stillness in how the pigment has been applied, allowing the eyes to travel across the terrain of the piece.