I’ve been painting these ‘Unpopular Penguins’ for fiveyears now (this is number 448), having a good deal of success with them in galleries and shows. The starting point is the original design of the ‘Penguin classics’ books, transformed and distorted by multiple layers of paint, expressive brushwork, drips and spatters. The composition of this one is more abstract and free-form.
The paintings in this series are held in collections around the world, and have been in various art prizes and prominent Australian galleries. Edmund Capon, former director of the Art Gallery of NSW, said of the first painting in this series, ‘an evocative imagining of the familiar Penguin paperback...it was a painting we all liked very much for its rich texture, its sense of memory and its sort of nostalgic humour’
This painting is on stretched canvas, with painted sides, and it is ready to hand without needing framing. Note that, if you have a particular book in mind, you can contact me to commission one. You can choose the size, book title and colour.
For lovers of art, books, and classic design.