Callisto

I knew that painting onto round canvases was always going to be a bit tricky; perhaps even more so as I have always wanted to do something a bit different. I’ve thought about the round art collection for 18 months yet it is only now that I am able to show the fruits of my labours.

Initially I thought that off-setting lots of paint to one side would make things uneven or a little unbalanced, but after a lot of experimentation it became apparent that I could move in this direction and still create a strong and uplifting painting that was a joy to look at.

With more than a hint of inspiration from the moons of Jupiter (of which Callisto is one) I set about assembling a palette of colours that reminded me of the photographs of Jupiter that have become so universally known. The blending of the oranges has ultimately made Callisto feel very light and airy; warmth is caught in abundance whilst the striking darker tones bring a much needed gravity to the painting.

I’ve shown how this may look in a couple of room features in the images at the top of the page. It’s a very addictive painting.

You may also like to know that the round canvases are made for me (pre-stretched) by Damien Hirst’s team who have a giant factory right behind my studio. Handy that.