Graham Rice has been working on a series of glowing and lustrous forest paintings. He says: "I've
always painted, I need to paint... Sometimes I simply want to
experience the joy of making a piece of art, the solving of the puzzle
as you fit all the elements together. Other times I need to express an
emotion, or tell a story, I need to get a idea out into the big wide
world, I need to make something that will touch people.
"With
these pieces I wanted to explore the complexities of relationships,
being apart and together. I wanted the specifics of these relationships
to be as layered as possible, to allow the viewer to project their own
experiences and dreams onto each piece, to step into their own forest.
"The
paintings developed through a variety of different stages. Starting
with an application of folded tissue paper followed by a loose layer of
paint, this is where the bones of the painting begin to form as I find
the features I want to build upon. I'll then start to glaze on several
layers of paint, some simply rubbed on with fingers, others carefully
painted to define the characters or creatures within a composition. Once
that's complete the first layer of resin is applied, this forms a very
hard and shiny surface which is then painted over further, primarily to
add the more abstract foreground elements. A final layer of resin and a
polish complete the painting and give the colours their deep lustre."
