Some of my recent paintings have changed direction after ten years experience painting mainly animals. I have reached the blissful and fulfilling transition towards this alluring style of work. Classical sculptures embody emotions for many people, they touch on deep feelings and profound understanding. I am really looking forward to explore further into this subject with my oil painting techniques.

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'Inner Balance'

 

 When I visited Holland around five years ago with my family, I picked up the inspiration of my painting 'The Inner Balance' during a tour of the Rusk Museum. I was enchanted by this sculpture ~ ' L'Amour Menacant ' by Falconet, and brought home a postcard of the statue. 

Being my Mother's favourite subject, I was roused to pick up my brushes and expand my new style of Classical Paintings, as my dear Mother never explored this mode of expression on this topic that she held so dear.

I endeavour for the titles of my work to have profound meaning and yet the leniency of open interpretation for its audience. Following my previous painting 'Forgiveness', I required a similarly suitable name for this composition of the cherub that would capture the innocence of a child and yet equivocation of expression carved on this sculptures face. 'Inner Balance' established the desired notion of this painting.

The inborn passion I have for this subject is translated through the anthropological realism in fine details, capturing the nuances of my subjects with verve.

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'Forgiveness'

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The deepest feelings ignited within me while creating this painting. My inspiration flourished through my research into the Michelangelo sculpture ‘Pietra of the Mary’ and the ‘Young Hercules’ by Alessandro Farnese.

At that moment, I was enlightened as I envisioned the composition depicting both of these classic sculptures on one painting.

Some of my recent paintings have changed direction after ten years experience painting mainly animals. I have reached the blissful and fulfilling transition towards this alluring style of work. Classical sculptures embody emotions for many people, they touch on deep feelings and profound understanding. I am really looking forward to explore further into this subject with my oil painting techniques.​

The name for this painting that came to my mind was ‘Forgiveness’...that all humans deserve to experience in their lives.

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'Mars'

“Whatever possession we gain by our sword cannot be sure or lasting,

but the love gained by kindness and moderation is certain and durable."

~ Alexander the Great

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The concept behind this piece is for me to create two paintings ~ Mars and Venus. Male and female classical large-scale heads to be hung as a pair, side by side. I have now completed 'Mars' after three months work. 'Venus' my female sculpture painting is yet to be painted.

This is 'Mars', a painting of Alexander III of Macedon which took me three months to complete, using Old Holland Acrylics. The background composition is one of my signature style, with extra depth to compliment the sculpture's portrait. Old Holland Acrylics enabled me to create the stone effects of the face of the marble. Throughout the length of time this painting took me to work on, the most time was spent on detailing the distinctive features of this magnificent portrait.

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'Venus'

“Mother of Rome, delight of gods and men, dear Venus

 that beneath the gliding stars makest to teem the many-voyaged  

main and fruitful lands- for all of living things..
Before thee, Goddess, and thy coming on, flee stormy wind and massy cloud away,

for thee waters of the unvexed deep smile,

and the hollows of the  serene sky glow with diffused radiance for thee”

~ Lucretius

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This is 'Venus', a painting of the Venus de' Medici or Medici Venus, a Hellenistic marble sculpture depicting the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite. This painting has been a work in progress for many months, perfecting each detail of the marble using Oils. The use of Oils here is my special touch to create the detailing and richness in the glow of the background.

The background composition is one of my signature style, classical and yet bold using red, with extra depth to compliment the sculpture's portrait. The use of red in this portrait is of significance and in reference to roses particularly associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, also symbolised in 'An Allegory with Venus and Time' by Domenico Piola. In this allegory, Time, with his hourglass, presents Venus, the goddess of love, with a mature rose, as if to remind her that earthly love is as fleeting as a rose’s bloom. In response, Venus reveals her higher identity as a symbol of enduring spiritual love and divine beauty. One legend tells that the first roses sprang from her tears while another says that it was a gift for gods to celebrate her rising from the sea. Yet another story goes that the rose was originally white, but became red when the goddess pricked her feet on the thorns as she sought her slain lover. The background also drew inspiration from Venus itself, the second planet from the Sun. It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

This sculpture has become one of the navigation points by which the progress of the Western classical tradition is traced, the references to it outline the changes of taste and the process of classical scholarship, and so in turn plays an integral part in my own passion for classical sculpture painting.