Fauvism

 The group leader of Get Painting, Tony, asked me if I'd heard of Fauvism. I hadn't. He said that my paintings (the ones he'd seen) reminded him of the style.

He may have a point.

Fauvist works were invested with a strong expressive reaction to the subjects portrayed.

I do know that I share the desire to use unnatural colours; to separate colour from its usual representational and realistic role, giving new, emotional meaning to the colors.

At the Edge

and On the Rocks were painted this way.

While I had a strong reaction to The Beachcomber, the use of bold, unnatural colours did not suit the style of painting I wanted to create. There was more reflection than drama in the subject. 

I was almost finished, when I painted over large parts of the canvas to achieve this.

Lock-side Bouquet was an attempt to create a realistic representation of a profusion of wildflowers from this photo, taken on the Marne in 2010

No Fauvist influence there, methinks.

The Portraits of Alf are definitely an attempt to capture his personality. Various poses present different emotions.

The Jacket was a trial painting folds in fabric, so I had to keep it fairly realistic. When I look at colours, I can see shades of other colours depending on how the light is falling on the subject. 

Where Alf's fur is black, there are hues of blue, and his brown patches contain oranges and reds.

I find his nose challenging. Were I to paint it in blacks, it would not hold its form. Blues and other hues are needed. I'm getting close to representing it in the third portrait (in progress)

In most of Alf's portaits, there is evidence of a Fauvist approach.

So, I would say that I am influenced by Fauvism, but not to the exclusion of other great artist's styles. I don't consciously set out to paint something 'in the style of', apart from the very first watercolour I did during an Art Class. Monet's Westminster Bridge, Sunset.

I have always had a love of learning. I'm keen to learn as much as I can from others. So, thank you, Tony, for putting a name to the style of some of my paintings.