Just like The Great Escape painting, Chaotic Silence was also created during the COVID lockdown as a means to escape and unwind. I begun both paintings the same time, so while one was drying I worked on the other etc.

The process

Chaotic silence began as four blank canvases with the initial vision of being a fun pretty painting to be called Tutti Frutti. Unfortunately I forgot to add a background wash of colour to them before beginning and even with many layers of pretty coloured oil droplets it just didn’t look right. I decided to add a pink wash of colour over my canvases, allowing muted shade of tutti frutti to emerge. After many more layers of oil paint it was starting to take shape.

I let them dry for a good few days and viewed them with fresh eyes. Sometimes it’s good to step away from paintings in order to see where to take them next. For me, with everything becoming more lonely and confusing during lockdown I began to add drip lines to the canvases. Multidirectional lines which began with white oil paint then moved to greys before switching to bold dark colours. If I felt happy I would add more droplets of colour, and if I felt a bit sad or fed up I’d add more lines. Pretty soon a wonderful chaotic vision appeared and I knew it was time to stop.

I absolutely love the end result, it reminds me of Broadway Boogie Woogie by Piet Mondrian.

Check it out at http://192.168.86.9/modern-art-paintings/chaotic-silence/