The Country of the Blind Collage

'The Country of the Blind' continued with the same techniques as 'Gathering' - using paint and brushes as opposed to markers, to work on a bigger scale - but this time I wanted to try using more colour in my brush strokes and the background, which I collaged in. The picture is built from smaller, separate panels of card which are easier to chop into, switch bits around and develop individually. Gradually, I start fitting them together to create a larger composition. This picture comes unframed and in 8 pieces that fit together like a jigsaw. I have to admit, I work like this for practical reasons. I don’t have a big studio at the moment so, if I work big, it helps if I can store it away in smaller sections. It also makes it a lot easier, cheaper and safer to ship it to you. I don't set out to paint a scene depicting anything in particular. I'm focussed on the composition and the energy of the piece. But, by accident, I ended up with a scene showing two sighted figures pushing their way through a crowd of blind people. I think I'd removed a lot of the characters' eyes to help with the flow of the piece - it abstracts the faces a little. The title, 'The Country of the Blind', came to mind and I decided to google it which led me to this incredible short story of the same name by HG Wells. You can read it online or check out a wiki summary. It raises fascinating and slightly ambiguous questions about mankind's nature, which i would love to resonate through my picture.