Giraffe #1 Painting

My work aims to communicate the intensity of the painted figure through pose, gesture and expression. I create contemporary figurative paintings by mixing traditional oil techniques with modern mediums, working on canvas, board or metal. The juxtaposition of changing surfaces, materials and compositions act to heighten the figurative image in each piece. While the figures are painted thinly in oils, the backgrounds use modern light-reflective pigments, taking the subject out of their original context and placing them into a realm without circumstances or conditions. My new gold works reference the importance gold has played as a medium within the history of painting and creates a contemplative space for the figure in each piece. The grandeur of the gold creates a contrast with the figures' contemporary look, everyday clothes and gestures.