Hokusai Green 2 Painting

Hokusai Green Series Oil and ink on vintage book pages laid onto canvas Jane Skingley’s abstract painting Hokusai Green is inspired by the famous woodblock print, ‘The Great Wave of Kanagawa by nineteenth Century, Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. Jane is better known for her more figurative seascape and landscape paintings, which evoke a feeling of calm. But in recent years she has be following a desire to shift her work in a more abstract direction, simplifying and focussing on elemental mark-making. The breakthrough in this shift took place when she attended a studio retreat which freed her up to pursue this direction. She says “the paintings you make are like your handwriting, it’s very difficult to change your style and so you keep making the same marks. But instead of running away from them, the retreat taught me to embrace these marks and make theme the centre of my work.’ When looking at the painting, the first thing that strikes you is the unusual surface that she paints on which is made from vintage book pages which are found in charity shops and old book shops, then laboriously collaged onto canvas. The foxing and patina of the old paper gives warmth and interest to the painting, just like the old woodblock prints. According to Jane: ‘The painting process itself is quite daunting as there is only one chance to get it right. If I’m not happy with it, I have to strip the paper off and start again.’ She paints in quick bursts with oil and ink using unconventional painting tools. In order to create a painting she is happy with, Jane has to relax herself with warm up exercises. ‘If you are tense, the painting is going to fail.’ ‘I love their simplicity and the boldness of the marks.’ They owe much to chance, or the Japanese concept of Wabi-sabi, finding beauty in imperfection.