The Woman

The Woman. Oil on Canvas. 100 x 85 cm. 2016

​On a recent trip to Munich, Vienna and Prague, I saw many wonderful Egon Schiele paintings and drawings, and I was very inspired by the expressive power of his figures. I have long been a fan of his incredibly alive and expressive use of line, but seeing the work ‘in the flesh’ I was struck by the simplicity of the figure and ground, and especially how he created shapes in space.

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​So I have begun a new series of figure paintings, concentrating on the body, and on the creation of powerful forms in space. The first of these is The Woman. I am really happy with this painting, I was striving to create a great sense of primal life force, connecting the fecund, ripe female form with the generative imagery of the ocean, and with the strength of the rock. The woman and the rock present a dialogue of form, both roundly solid and centered on the spine.

Underpainting in umber and white

Charcoal drawing