The Lovers Painting

A fantasy of 2 lovers from............I also made the mask which is for sale, the mask won first prize at a halloween fancy dress party. It’s been often said I only paint women but thats not true, I recently did a painting about war that was inspired after a recent trip to Kanchanaburi to see the 'Bridge over the River Kwai' and 'Devil's pass'. Devil's pass is cut through a mountain it’s littered with memorials and poppies for those that died there, poppies are everywhere, it's a striking place and I don't think anyone could walk through that pass without shedding tears. Until then I didn't understand the horrors of war, I wanted to paint something with poppies, I did some research and was taken back by the terrible scenes in the trenches of WW1 and knew that’s what I wanted to paint but wasn't sure where the poppies came in. I then had the idea I wanted my poppies to represent all those that didn't make it over the top of the trenches, the young men cut down in their prime, I can tell you theres a tear or two of mine amongst those poppies mixed in with the oil. That’s how I paint using my experiences of life getting my feelings in there amongst the oils and brush strokes, regardless of the subject.