An update on the process… forgive my slight off kilter photography

I hate to be one of the crowd and drone on about the rainy Summer but it was wet, more wet for some than others. But the last three weeks in the Fens have been utterly lovely, clear skies, warm sun and a burst of late colour in the garden. I love the Japanese Anemone [A. x hybrida 'Konigin Charlotte] and Rudbekia, both structurally strong, hardy and mildly persuasive in the boarders. I planted them both last year and they have taken well with no additional help. The clash of golden yellow and candy pink burns bright against the dark green, all I need is a dark red or a regal purple to balance, I feel that clashing colours always work best in odd numerical groups.

This was created in acrylic on canvas, a coating of gesso removes the texture of the canvas and brings additional depth to the structure of the impasto paint work. The image is based on an early 1980s photo which I re-photo’d and played with in Photoshop, I wanted the painting to be an illustration, a sort of Boys Own image, to exaggerate the action without losing the identity of the rider and the machine.