Exploring Asymmetry

Prayer. . .

£235

When I designed this piece, I had in mind a message being sent. The curved line with the blues below could represent the earth and the wiggly line, the message.

This might be something ethereal such as a prayer, or a more tangible object such as a space probe. I'm fascinated by the parallel between the two things - both are messages sent from us out to the unknown like messages in bottles, with only hope and no certainty that they will be received or answered.

It's for this reason that the title of the work is left open and unfinished.

Oblique

£950

The largest panel here, it's made in 4 sections partly for practical reasons, but partly to provide more physical dividing lines.

I've expeimented with perception, in the same way as with the old "candlestick / 2 faces" optical illusion.

You might initially see the whole as 4 separate panels, then a single panel divided into 8 unequal rectangles, as a mixture of vertical and oblique lines or a collection of green shapes.

Autumn Haze

£475

The busiest design here; the lines are defiantly asymmetric and the motifs of falling leaves and heat shimmer bring to mind the chaos of nature.

This is the earliest design shown here. You'll see from the signature that I made this window several years ago. It was the first of my own abstract designs and was the springboard for all of the work here.

I've since made several versions of it, all quite different, this illustration shows the largest panel that I've ever made, a more regimented version of Autumn Haze measuring over 3 metres high.

3 emotions

(elation, calm, frustrated)

sold

We may not realise it but any piece of art, traditional or contemporary, influences our feelings as we view it. Calming designs or works of art are used in some hospital waiting rooms. The bright primary colours in the stained glass used in churches and cathedrals make them uplifting and inspirational.

These three designs, planned as a triptych, started life as an exercise in using lines and colour to represent or manipulate moods.

The sparing gentle curves and easy colours of the central panel should give a feeling of calm.

The loud colours and tight angles of the third panel should provoke feelings of stress and unease. The angles could represent sharp objects such as shards of glass. The lines could represent something (or someone) bound with rope.

Sunrise

£450

Based on a 1930s style sunrise motif, this panel initially looks symmetrical, but this is deceptive. Look again and you'll see that the radiating lines are not truly symmetrical and are subtly broken by irregular horizontal and vertical lines. The shape in the middle, which could be mountains reflected in a lake, is far from symmetrical.

Self Portrait

£310

Following a visit to the Czech Republic, perhaps the home of Cubism, I was inspired to create a self-portrait, taking different parts of the face from different viewpoints and distances, and assembling them on a flat plane. As your eye travels around this image seeing random parts of my face, it is just like the way that you study someone's face while chatting - first the nose, then the earrings maybe, then back to the eyes.

I took elements of my face from different photographs and rearranged them into this arrangement.

The images were manipulated, the contrast increased until the facial features became pleasing organic abstract shapes, still vaguely recognisable. The resulting shapes were then handpainted onto the glass in two firings.

The Gilbert and George influence is not entirely accidental. I've long been a fan of their work.

Peacock

£310

This design was inspired by Aubrey Beardsley's work. His compositions often have unusual proportions, spare art nouveau lines and often large areas of white space.

I originally planned the peacock to bear a large phallus. These birds are unusual in that the male of the species has bright, attractive colours while the female is dull brown. We admire his beauty, but ignore the fact that it's there for a very basic reason.

I've opted for a more subtle approach, giving the peacock's body a suggestive shape.