Chair

After working on hard edge abstracts for the last few years, I wanted to challenge myself by returning to observational painting from real life. The reason I left it so long is that I suffer from essential tremor which means I shake so much that it’s extremely difficult to control paint application. Therefore my anxiety before attempting this was quite high.
I chose the simple subject of an old chair I’ve had for over 25 years that has spent way to many years out in the elements. It was first painted white, then bright red years later. It now reveals all it’s history showing red, creamy white and the original timber that has turned to a beautiful grey.
I set it up in my studio with a single light source to accentuate the form and shadows. I placed the chair all the way to the right half of the picture to give the composition some boldness and uncertainty, which is how I felt before attempting this artwork.
I have refrained from adding too much detail as I wanted to highlight the form and colour of the subject. The bold cadmium red stands out vibrantly against the neutral background.
The painting was a huge challenge and for most of the time I had to hold the brush with both my hands in an attempt to reduce my tremor.
I got there in the end and I’m extremely proud of my effort. Have to say I shed a little tear upon completion once I sat back and took it in. Painting is life for me and I’ll continue keep it going as long as I can.