During the summer months over the past three years I have swum in my parents’ pool in the evenings. From the water I could see the city to the south. I rarely use human figures in my work and this is more a suggestion than a description. I used swimming as a form of therapy during the worst of the anxiety attacks and this work evokes a desire to be free from the world and its messiness.
This is the first painting I did in this series; I sold it to a woman who saw it after I uploaded it on Twitter. After Gondwanaland, these are definitely the most personal of my works, and also the most feminine. You can read more about the story behind this work here.
Floating is another variation on the theme of Swimming at Night. These are the most personal of my works in that they’re the only ones where there’s a visual reference to me. The palette is also quite different, using purples and golds rather than reds.
Of all of my work on exhibit, it’s this series that has tended to resonate most with people who see it. Both paintings have sold (one to a close friend) and it’s gratifying that they’re able to evoke such an immediate emotional response.
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