Red Sky at Night...artistic delight

Red Sky at Night - detail of a new monotype

The iconic lone tree, windswept and defiant on a cliff edge has been a strong theme running through my recent work. It's fascinating to see how people react to images like this one. They bring their own memories and associations to the scene.

Some remember the famous occasion when Kevin Costner visited Northumberland to shoot a scene for Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves beside our "Sycamore Gap" on Hadrian's Wall. (For my international friends, it's nowhere near Sherwood Forest!)

For others, the lone tree evokes feelings of glorious isolation and defiance, of standing out from the crowd, of clinging on in the face of adversity. Somehow the tree stands in for us and for the feelings of connection we experience in wild places.

But my journey as a maker follows a different path. Whilst it might begin with a strong desire to capture the power and beauty of nature, the creative journey follows it's own rocky road (nothing to do with crunchy bars - I mean it's ups and downs!)

Working in multi-colour with monotype can be challenging. I apply several layers of colour and a lot of things could go wrong on each layer. Ultimately, it's impossible to predict how it will turn out. Each layer modifies the creative direction of the piece and it can feel like I'm trying to guide something with it's own impetus rather than being completely in control.

"Red Sky at Night" (detail above) was made over several weeks, with other work going on at the same time. But I kept a video journal of this one so that I could share the whole process with you, edited down to just 3 minutes.

This monotype and others from the series will initially be offered for sale to my email subscribers. Please sign up if you want more insights into the process and advance notice of new work.