Upwind
There you are, the tide drawing back, carrying sticks, kelp heads and blades, shells and other strays, gathering in enclaves, reprieve before its return. I’m on my way to the island, the crossing exposed. Dislodged mussels, sentinel as they rise, they sing with every step, ascending en route to the trail. Fingers curl, thumbs secure, the morning sun bends over the bluff, fraying the edges of fog held in a north-easterly wind. Eyes water as it weaves into my jacket hood, carrying morning migrations.
CATHEDRAL — 03
2025
Oil on Canvas
1000 x 1000 mm
Frame & Mount: Suggested
Paintings stand resolute in their drying racks, some ready to receive their respective layers, others await. Walking through an opening, gentle is the step, quiet are the signals, like a distant oyster catcher song above incoming exploding swells. With trepidation I slide one out, where will we venture today, adjusting and securing it to the easel. The studio light unveils the day ahead, the liquid descends, folds and twists, the bottle withdraws and is securely placed back. Winter wind, curtains billow as I forage for pigments, carried and paralysed by uncertainty and zeal.
Deeper I go, tidal pools fill as falling waves meet the shallows, onward, kelp sways with each new pulse, a surge at the crossing? Distance closing, bristles bend as they meet the surface with shadow. A shape migrates and collides with the adjacent shape, modulating its density, in the same breath it tilts, loosening the connection, as entangled edges bleed. There you are.
On Practice is a series of writing on process, place, and the making of work. Get new entries in On Practice, plus occasional notes from the studio, sent monthly. Sign up
