receiving the earth’s blessing

Yesterday I put a layer of glue on a new canvas and covered it with ash from the fire; I want each painting to come as much as possible from the elements, so I always create a foundation layer of ash, soil or sand, or sometimes leave paintings outside in the rain. I want to bind them to the earth and receive it’s blessing. The canvas is burned, too, at various stages – creating texture and colour and making new forms. When all the materials had dried thoroughly, I covered the entire area with the first of many layers of dressmaking paper, a wonderful medium to create texture and transparency.

It seems to me that truths come and go from the unconscious as you engage with it, as you work hard and move towards the heart of a painting. It reminds me of what the Irish artist, Tony O’Malley, had to say about his work: “I like the craft of painting… it’s one of the other sides of painting beyond the impulsive gesture. The impulse may initiate the painting but it becomes subsumed in the painting. There’s a journey in a painting that moves through forms to simplicity… I believe in reflection and stillness. I believe sometimes that beginning a painting is like beginning a journey and you arrive at the point of reflection.”