Kaleidoscope Painting

The painting is rendered on Aquabord panel, an acid free clay material that permits purity and vibrancy of colour unmatched by traditional watercolour papers. The panel is exquisite to work with, allowing the artist to build up layers of the finest watercolour pigments to create deep saturation of colour whilst also retaining the ability to capture the most delicate light transitions. Unlike traditional watercolour paintings there is no need to frame the Aquabord in glass (although it can be if this is your preference), it is sealed with a varnish allowing the bare face of the painting to be displayed. Kaleidoscope was inspired by the fine balance that we all must maintain in order to stop the many small pressures in life from overwhelming us. Here the sense of balance is evoked not only through the composition but within its subjects. The butterflies are removed from their traditional symbolism and here instead represent the many different elements that demand attention or time for example, family, the past, our jobs, our wants and desires; all the things float around our personal hemispheres. These demands are multiple, some bare down upon us while others conform to the background noise of life allowing us to combat the challenges we all face. Here the butterflies reflect this balancing act they both land and move away from the stag, they are present but not overwhelming, individually they are manageable but compounded and experienced together thy have the potential to swarm and overwhelm.