59" x 47" Oil on Canvas
Artists' Statement
Allow yourself to be captured and carried away in your thoughts by this piece.
Is the bridge over misty water or cloud? Have they just met or about to leave together? So many questions and interpretations present themselves and will vary to each person who looks at this piece.
As an artist, you don't always have the opportunity to appreciate what you have created as your head and heart pull you in all directions, however this piece being so large, I was able to display it at home for a while whilst I arranged for a professional photo shoot, and I absolutely loved spending time with this piece.
The Conception
"Together Forever" was a commission piece for a really lovely client who needed artwork to sit within a large contemporary atrium space. The space was glazed to one aspect with white walls and clean lines on the other aspects. So I knew the artwork needed to to be a large contemporary style piece, but not so large as to overpower the space. I had a clear choice with regards to colour, either I created something which was a bright and vibrantly coloured abstract statement piece, or balanced monochrome tones with a hit of colour to draw the eye into the piece.
The Build
Space, depth, texture, emotion, romance and mystery. These were the key words I kept at the forefront of my mind throughout the build of this piece.
The monochrome sky and mist with the horizontal non direct light source built up over a number of blended layers provided the space backdrop beautifully. I purposefully did not build in a bright sun as this would have overpowered the characters. The high pigmentation of the white Rembrandt paint intensifying the setting behind the characters, really clarifies the moment being captured in this painting.
Next was the depth and texture. This was the most time consuming phase as I built up the boardwalk with many layers using a pallet knife before applying the finishing touches of monochrome tones using brushes, ensuring the peaks were highlighted to reflect the horizontal light source. I did wrestle with the idea of building in individual planks on the boardwalk, however, the uninterrupted blend of texture transports the eye towards the main characters in a much cleaner way.
The emotion and romance needed to sit firmly with the main characters. I completed quite a few studies before I finally designed the right characters, posture and scale to compliment the monochrome backdrop. Both characters are dressed in a smart / casual style, the lady wearing a fitted dress and no shoes as she feels safe in his company. The red umbrella denoting love and protection really pulls the eye into the piece beautifully in addition to providing the subtle hit of colour.
Spookily, the mystery element revealed itself whilst I was sat with a coffee and looking over the painting. I realised that the boardwalk could either be sat above water blanketed in mist, or projected out from a cliff face high above the clouds. It was at that point that another question popped into my head, "Are the couple embracing in a greeting? To say goodbye? Or simply enjoying the moment together?"
However you see this piece, it is certainly a painting which brings much thought and pleasure when you spend time with it. People have seen a cloud shaped like a hand, the couple stood on top of a pyramid and so much more. For me, I love the calming tones, the peacefulness, and being drawn into the moment the couple are sharing.
Availability
As the original is residing in a much loved home, there are limited edition prints available in both fine art paper and canvas, both of which are totally stunning and extremely popular.