Most of the time any really experimental works I do on canvas are painted over. At the moment most of the larger painting recently finished have several paintings under the top image.

The reason is that the experiments are loose and uncontrolled attempts to divine the way mediums work rather than the representation of my visions or ideas. There are some exceptions. No artist want to risk the chance that someone will seize on those moments to call a work some sort of defining image and have themselves forever tagged with work they have no pride in.

Among the experimental works I keep are watershed moments in the way I use mediums or contain some beautiful serendipitous effects that have life in themselves.

The painting to the left is in that latter group. I find the final effects quite beautiful and able to lift the work beyond it’s purpose as a mere experiment. There are strong levels of symbolism in the work.

I suspect some of the effects in the work are unique to this painting. I was using materials supplied to students through a paint lab and I have not been able to find anything that works exactly the same way. There were two of these, similar images but strong variations in materials. They were a part of a series called something like “Experiments in Blue” I think there were five or six in the series with two surviving.

The photo is as accurate as I can get it with my equipment. There are layers of glazes which bat the light around and fool the camera

90cm x 50cm heavy grade canvas on 2.5 x .5 pine stretcher, Acrylic Mediums