The mixed media artwork ‘Summer By the Dam’ was created with Derwent Inktense Blocks and acrylic paint. The Inktense blocks were watered down into a thin matte paint. I like the interplay between the thick shiny acrylics and the flat, thin, matte effect of the pigment block paint. The combination of Inktense and acrylics was a happy accident driven by curiosity.

The beginning of ‘Summer by the Dam’ was a thin layer of leftover acrylic paint. Unlike my textured works, the background was so thin I saw the canvas weave beneath it. Seeing an outline of cliffs on one side and a small inlet on the other, it intrigued me. I knew to bring out the image, I needed more subtlety. The Inktense blocks were on the table, so I experimented by mixing the pigment into a paint.

After I added the mixed colours, it looked like this:

Orientation, Theme and Style

At this early stage, the inlet and cliff were still there. So was an autumn themed garden, a lake, piles of rubble, and more. Many artists, when trying to resolve an image turn the canvas. So I turned it 90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees and back to the original orientation. My perception of the image changed. As a landscape oriented image, I saw a forest with strong tree trunks. The water was still there, but the inlet and the cliffs were gone.

The painting needed highlights, so I went for a strong yellow in acrylics. Small brush strokes with yellow-green, shades of blue and turquoise shifted the theme again. Now it was more like an old garden, with trees framing a dam, or a lake. The random yellow shapes took on the visage of abstract human forms. Somehow, it looks impressionist. I’ve quizzed other people about the style, and they also use the word impressionist.

The painting is one of the smallest works I’ve created. It is hanging on the studio wall among larger works. Yet it draws my gaze every day. It feels like alchemy to draw these elements together into a work which shines. ‘Summer by the Dam” is for sale. Contact me here if you are interested in the details.

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