SHELTER

This is a series of paintings made of hides in Epping Forest, near where I used to live. I've always been fascinated by the hides and fallen trunks which are visible here and there among the trees; likely these structures are made by Scouts or Duke of Edinburgh's Award candidates, but to me they also serve as a poignant reminder of the increasingly abominable housing situation in this country, in that, at times of desperation, they do indeed provide shelter for both the homeless and for wild animals, not just happy campers, or field-trippers on a jaunt for a day or two.  My idea of making drawings of these interesting structures was several years old, but it was not until I discovered UV paints, that I felt able to move this idea into a whole different dimension and bring it to life. I wasn't interested in doing just monochrome studies, as I thought that would be rather boring, and it had all been done before. With UV paints, I was able to add an element of surprise, which I'll describe below:. 

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Epping Forest at dusk has a very haunting quality. Darkness typically descends very quickly on the Forest like a stone, endowing most of the surroundings with a distinct spookiness - with the exception of the few chinks of pale sky shining through the trees, generated by a speedily disappearing sun. I did not want to use obvious or too literal colours for these images - so, they may look psychedelic at their finest!  

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These unusual and unique paintings can be bought from Etsy at https://crimariart.etsy.com/ . People love them - or, so they say - so, purchase yours now, before it's too late! They are made using mixed media (pencil, conventional and UV acrylic paints) on hot pressed Saunders Waterford paper; average size is approximately A4.