Pond 9 Painting

A gestural abstract work responding to the exploration of upland bodies of water storing and converting carbon for us. The painting is on stretched primed and gessoed cotton duck canvas, which will be rolled for shipping. At the beginning of March I recorded a large area of sphagnum that was growing below the surface of the water. A bright sun was causing rapid photosynthesis and bubbles of oxygen were rising from the plants. At the same time, we know that the plants were busy storing carbon and eliminating greenhouse gases such as methane. Recently much scientific attention and recognition has focussed on the vital actions of sphagnum in reducing greenhouse gases and maintaining a balanced environment. The pond series is taken from the time when these moorland flowers were blooming, blowing in the wind, dancing in the water. I was mesmerised.