‘Kepler 186’
is a contemporary spin painting created with blue and turquoise paints
130cm x 130cm (51″ x 51″)
Vesuvius
£3200
‘Kepler 186’
Round and round we go
I am beginning a new range of radial spin paintings and this is one of the first to emerge from the ideas I have in my head.
With this painting I have opted for a more structured and defined series of circles that interconnect and blend with each other. But I still like to have a little bit of craziness in there somewhere so I have those glorious organic shapes moving around the centre of the canvas. It’s all about balancing up the ying and yang for me. 
Blue is a very powerful colour and one I was keen to explore. So in the end I went with quite a soft and easy-going series of tones. We have the addition of a serene turquoise in there too that helps to bring a little warmth.
Finally we have some maroon and black accents to help define some of the ring layers. These are critical additions as they not only help the composition get broken up into segments but it also gives you the feeling of depth – like you could almost step into it… very neat!
Gently does it
I really wanted to slow everything down for this painting. What I mean is that instead of using my rotating spin platform at high speed I decided to slow it down so that I have more control over the forms and shapes.
With Kepler 186 I have something of a hybrid of techniques. Most noticeable is the regular circular shape that dominates. These are formed with a slow table rotation and a steady hand. It involves paint being applied then moved and (in some cases) thinned to achieve the blends and tones you see in the photos.
Slow speeds mean I have more time to assess and make adjustments. If the speed goes too high the paint begins to form under the influence of centrifugal forces and, although that can look great, I don’t want too much of that as it interferes with the circles and I lose what I set out to achieve. These forces can be seen in the circles where they undulate like ripples.
Materials and tech
I am using a new version of my enamel paints and enjoying getting to know them as well as the normal ones. As they are a latex derived version they have some rather unusual properties compared to oil based ones.
Most noticeable is the way that paint likes to stick to everything! So removal of the canvas from the rotating platform is a bit of a challenge. 
As I painted the canvas flat I have been able to commit to painting the entire canvas surface – this means that once it was stretched over the frame the painting also follows suit. So the whole thing goes around the edges and the corners too.
I don’t remember having stretched circles over a square before? it looks very good actually and not as odd as you may think. In any case though its great to have the sides finished properly and not just contained to the front face of the canvas.
The finished painting
The finish is beautiful. No, really it is. Come and see it and judge for yourself. It’s like an infinite ocean that you could live in. I see this being at home in a bright space and maybe somewhere near some greenery or plants?
It will feel at home in a neutral scheme as much as one adorned with grey and white. The painting can suit being pared with purples and silvers as much as it would with orange and black.
You can orientate it in any one of four ways and it could literally be hung anywhere. Call me today and let’s get this on your wall so you can see for yourself. It’s free by the way – see below.
