The Mermaid in the Basement Painting

My passion… painting! My subject…portraiture and the human form.  Using contemporary art practices I ask questions about the human condition through my paintings. I do not see my role as trying to answer philosophical, scientific, or poetic questions about human existence.  I simply observe and record what I see and feel using visual qualities that convey a sense of feeling from my subjects. This is what drives me to create the art that I do. Working from manipulated photographs and film stills, my current body of work is inspired by the female form in water.  Using contemporary paint applications, and wet in wet painting techniques, I capture the fluidity and movement of water.  Contemporary stencilling techniques from pop art influences place the figure in the foreground of my expressionistic backgrounds.  This underwater habitat is refreshing and liberating, creating a sense of suspension and quietness.   Why this painting…I work from found and created photographs and I was captivated by the movement of the underwater world in this image. Contrasting colours are also a focus of mine, and this painting has a beautiful magenta contrasted against the aqua and greens. The wet in wet application of paint and how this lends well to my underwater scenes, with separate patches of colour "moving" into the next. As I am also interested in achieving depth in the movement of the paint layers which can be seen in the detail photograph. I love to see light shine across the front of my paintings and be able to see how the paint has been applied thicker and thinner in some areas. Materials… I have used high quality artist acrylic paints and mediums from Matisse and Golden, and Liquitex Professional Spray Paint. I have also finished the painting with a high gloss oil based varnish.  As with most of my paintings I personally mount the board on an “inbuilt” frame.  I then paint the board and frame as one unit. This is a large piece so I recommend hanging it directly from the two D rings that I supply on the back of the painting. The wooden board is subject to environmental influences which may create short term movement in the board/mount.  Hence I recommend 2 hooks holding the painting directly to the wall, not a single hook from a single wire. Signed on the Back. Original artwork by Kerry Inkster.