Our Afternoon Painting

(on hold for exhibition, The Next Big Thing at Studio Channel Islands) I love to hear them talk when they don’t know I’m listening. They play by narrating the imagination game to each other. “and then Mc Boing Boing (their imaginary protagonist) flies in and says urrrgh!”. The “urrgh!” Perfectly captured with sound and gesture. She will say to he. And he will say to she, painting the picture in the world of their imaginary characters. The imaginary is so visible in their world, I needed to peek and and take a picture to show you. I love this collaboration. They are so lucky to have each other. This is part of a series of painting I am doing in collaboration with my children. I spend a lot of time thinking about who they are and how to bring out the best in them. I think that this is a tremendously important job and hugely under valued in our culture. I have them draw or paint onto repaired canvases. And then I work on top. Acrylic and charcoal on canvas, sealed and varnished on stretched canvas.