I used some very delicate stroke techniques to apply carefully selected tonal hues of gorgeously rich greens and blues – offset by a floating and carefree white feature that serves to embrace the entire side of the painting – offering an ephemeral lightness to contrast against the hardness of the central form.

Careful placement of subtle opposing tones have lifted the painting and given it a sense of occasion. It is perhaps the two black arcs that add the greatest weight to this painting. For a long time I resisted the temptation of adding them but ultimately found that they were the right thing to do. I felt I needed to frame the piece with a certain finality that would help contain the movement and action of the central forms. What the black highlights also do is allow the painting a greater balance – I had felt that it was too heavy towards one side before I applied them. Now thankfully there is equilibrium and stability in either portrait or landscape mode. I guess that’s a bit like nature really – no matter what the upset may be balance will always be found.