Merlin

Pink, ochre and midnight blue planes that overlap, on a scraped surface where the light catches. In Merlin, large expanses of colour tilt and overlap, like plates laid one upon another. Powdery pink, ochre and sun yellow blend into a deep midnight blue, while a rust orange warms the right-hand side. A thin, dark, vertical line crosses the canvas and gives the eye a point to rest on. The surface is heavily worked: it seems crumpled, scraped, at times smoothed, and the light catches on every relief. One moves through the painting by touches, with no imposed path. An energy in motion emerges from it, with calmer cream zones that let the whole breathe. Merlin will sit well in a bright living space, a sitting room or a workspace, where a side light will bring out the relief of the material. Its yellows and oranges will converse with off-white walls, pale woods or linen textiles. Its deep blues will find an echo in an armchair, a rug or curtains in midnight blue or slate grey. · Large tilted flat areas of colour that overlap, with crisp edges on one side and soft, blurred ones on the other · Surface in relief, with crumpled and scraped textures, that catches the light · A few thin, dark lines, including a pronounced vertical right of centre · Smoother, milky passages in pale yellow and pink, in contrast with the denser zones · A small touch of bright red at the top right, which draws the eye back into the painting