The artist - I am drawn to painting the everyday because I paint every day. It is neither a hobby nor a job, but rather something that inhabits the fabric of my personality.
Every painting is a time capsule: an insight into a moment of creation, a physical manifestation of the artist. Each stroke is impacted by their observations, their past, their present, history, personality, perception and vision. With that, I believe that the most successful painters are those who not only execute their ambitions with a high degree of skill but who also convey their entire personality within the paint. They leave an imprint of their labour on the canvas, their quasi-self.
This is the third painting of a series of nine documenting a year in my domestic life. I invite you into my home, my work intended to be viewed as though you are looking through my eyes.
This oil painting, ‘Cost of Living’ speaks for itself: energy bills are extortionate, inflation was exploding, and austerity demanded my wages remained stagnant: we were seeking alternative methods to stay warm.
Focusing on painting only the elements that are key to recording the scene, I leave many elements with a subtle underpainting, allowing the eye to focus on the large, bold uses of colour on the figure or objects of interest. This is supported by the Wedgewood white and blue underpainting that melts into the background as you observe the focal point whilst also drawing comparisons to my ‘Potteries’ heritage and enforcing a cinematic quality within.
When analysing this painting, you are stepping into my world as I direct you through my viewpoint. You’re standing on the threshold of my life.