On The Easel - February 2012

Scene 3 Erwartung Series

The Erwartung Series started in October is nearing completion with just the last and final Scene to complete.  The painting featured here (actually just 'off the easel') is Scene 3, in which the woman encounters what she believes to be a figure dancing in the moonlight.

The text for Erwartung was written by Marie Pappenheim, a young medical student, in response to a commision from Schoenberg.  A clearly disturbing work which has been linked to the psychoanalytical case studies of Freud - those of  'Anna O' and 'Dora' - both studies on female hysteria, and Josef Breuer´s 'Studien uber Hysterie' of 1895.

It is fascinating that the text of Erwartung and 'Dora' both include dreams (hallucinations) about the forest - a place of anxiety and mystery.  The woman in Erwartung upon entering the forest sings "An oppressive air attacks me...Like a storm that waits." Within Scene three and in particular Scene 4 the text clearly mentions bright yellow mushrooms 'rising out of the grass like eyes on stalks' which in Freudian symbology are distinctly phallic, although mine are more like bright eyeballs!

What drew me to the work was the haunting music of Schoenberg, the forest at night, the mystery of the lover, the amnesia and hallucinations, and a path on the road to more expressive and creative art.

On The Easel - January 2012

The Junior School Field

New for this year I intend to share information regarding current projects, exhibitions and work still WET on the easel.

I have several works on the go at present including my Erwartung Series, the Memories Series of oil paintings and a portrait commision in oils.

I started the Memories Series quite some time ago but have decided that they must be finished and I have been busy adding various glazes to build up the colours from the initial grisailles.  The first in the series is entitled 'The final hour' and is an imaginary image of my father's final hour before he died - recalling his words and thoughts at that time - the image has seven faces and has taken some time to complete and is now in its final stages.

The image pictured here is the second in the Memories Series and recalls my childhood memories - this one from the Junior School in Writtle, Nr. Chelmsford.  I remember sitting playing with my friends at the edge of the playing field, which was previously a farmers field - some cabbages were left in situ - and I can still clearly see images in my mind of friends collecting and playing with snails and butterflies.

In the background is the farm and to the left Widford Church.  This is an image straight from my head and not at all accurate in terms of the landscape.  The feelings and the joy of this period in my life is something that I wanted to share in this painting. The painting is still in an unfinished state and I hope to have it completed shortly.