Charlie 1
Oil and mixed media on canvas · 45 × 61 cm · 2021
Charlie 1 captures a quiet, melancholic moment between an adult figure and a child, rendered in a restrained palette of blues, greys, olive and muted flesh tones. The contrast between the dark doorway and the heavily textured surroundings creates a powerful sense of isolation and stillness. The figures appear almost sculptural, emerging from the surface of the canvas. The raised texture gives the work an unusual three-dimensional quality, making the doorway, clothing and pavement feel almost tangible. There is humour and sadness living together in the image—a quality that gives the work its emotional weight.
Charlie 1 holds a very special place in my artistic journey. I painted it during COVID, at a time when the world had suddenly become quieter, stranger and more isolated. It was also the beginning of an entirely new chapter for me as an artist. A dear friend (Jackie) gave me my first set of oil paints, introducing me to a medium I had never really explored before. Charlie 1 became my first serious experiment with oil paint—and, at the same time, my first attempt at using texturing paste directly on the canvas to create a three-dimensional effect. So this painting represents more than the image itself. It records the moment I discovered that I could make the surface of a painting become part of the artwork. That combination of COVID isolation, a friend's gift, the discovery of oil painting and my first exploration of texture makes Charlie 1 one of the important milestones in my development as an artist. For that reason, I have placed it in my Private Reserve rather than giving it an ordinary retail price. It is one of those works whose value is tied not only to what is on the canvas, but to where it sits in my personal artistic history. Private Reserve — available by considered bid.
The original
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A signature work from the private reserve · priced privately, viewing by arrangement
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