In The Company of the Wise (nfs)

Description

In The Company of the wise, an original oil on canvas work (2026). Whilst pausing between paintings, I was rummaging in my “research” pictures and cuttings piles, I came across a photo of what looked like a cave, mainly golden with some blue sections.  Attached to this was something I drew and had forgotten – a sketch of what I saw in the cave -figures, faces.  I knew immediately I had to paint this.  At first I began to paint the background in black, and the inner voice said – put blue – not a dull blue, a vibrant blue. And so it was.  I also pondered upon whether the painting would be landscape or portrait, initially beginning landscape, and then firmly knew – ah yes portrait. I experimented with colours on the original sketch, and intuitively moved into cream and copper. The title named itself, at the very start of the work. Also hugely inspired by my Mama’s black and white charcoal body of work from the 1970s and 1980s.