Take me to the Island XI ©John O’Grady
24″ x 24″ x 1.75″, acrylic and mixed media on deep edged canvas, ready to hang.
SOLD
In a departure with my other paintings, I am working with black, white, greys and an iridescent silver to conjure the drama of the place through movement of light and dark.
Night clouds are lit by the full moon off stage behind the clouds.
Shafts of moonlight sweep across the painting diagonally from top left to bottom right, while a fine veil of rain falls slowly onto the sea and island.
The more I paint these pieces the more I feel the communion between the memory of being before nature and experiencing a spiritual dimension, perhaps like the monk in Casper David Friedrich’s painting.
The monk has turned away from us and looks out at the sea, inviting us the viewers to commune with nature.
Likewise, I am inviting you, the viewer, to feel that sense of wonderment by looking into this dreamscape of memory and imagination.
I look forward to reading your comment.
What a courageous and primal piece of work John! It feels like the tribes of night are at play performing an exorcism in nature…a resurrection of the phenomenon that in the beginning there was a spark of consciousness.
The grey/black/silver can in time turn to a beautiful azure blue but only when we allow ourselves to cross the threshold of the wedge of freedom in our own hearts. I love this one John and your thoughts behind it!
Hello Irene,
Thanks very much for your magical reading of the painting and encouraging words. Glad to hear that you love this one. The spark of consciousness in the beginning that you mention, reminded me of Dylan Thomas’s Fern Hill
This image has all the beauty and majesty of a sweeping, platinum print photograph but with a depth, movement and energy that no static photo could capture. The forces of nature are speaking to us in no uncertain terms. The choice of monochrome distills the stunning work you do with light and shadow to its essence. I never fail to be amazed at how you reveal the world around us — and its relation to emotion, connection and memory — in such unexpected and powerful ways.
Hello Jo
Only when I had read your comment did the photographic quality and in particular platinum prints come to mind with regards the painting. I must admit I enjoyed very much the making of this piece and I think it shows. By paring it back as you say to the ‘essence’ of light and dark I could concentrate on those qualities in particular. Thank you for your insights and kind words on my painting process.
II so agree with this descriptive and insightful comment. When I first saw the painting … It took my breath away. Thank you John for allowing me to travel to places and spaces I may only visit in my mind, and thank you JR for saying so .
You are very welcome, thank you for your comment, great to hear it took your breath away. Yes JR’s comment is very insightful 🙂
Oh, John!! What a phenomenal piece of work! Now THIS is how we remember much of Ireland as we drove around the Dingle (and the Cliffs of Moher on several occasions). I don’t think we ever saw the sun. We did, however, feel the power of the ocean and the fierceness of the weather as it rolled in upon us; so much so, that we literally turned around and headed away from the approaching deluge. This is truly a magnificent piece. Thank you!
Hello Terry
What memories scary ones as well all add to the rich tapestry! Thank you for your thoughts on the painting, I am really happy to hear that it captures some of those memories for you.
Majesty, magnificence and memory distilled into light and shade and all executed with such confidence and dynamism. Many congratulations John.
Hello Chris,
beautiful alliteration with the three M’s how lovely to get your comment this morning, thank you very much
John, As I look upwards I see your wonderful charcoal Miners’ Strike piece so of course this bowls me over. You realise that the light stream goes diagonally in both? (albeit from bottom right to top left from the miner’s light rather than top left to bottom right as now)
Hello Nick, it is lovely to hear from you. You are spot on but it never crossed my mind, that piece brings back such strong memories, the diagonal movement seems to be a feature. Funnily I was looking at some of my abstract pieces from way back and they too have diagonal movement in them , food for thought, Thanks very much Nick
I love this painting. Your use of the dark, shimmering colours, and your treatment of the light hidden behind the clouds, creates a very dramatic effect. It creates in me, a feeling of isolation and insignificance. A feeling of standing alone facing the force, strength and the threat of nature. Brilliantly dark and foreboding.
Hello Tish,
Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment. I think your description and feelings about the painting are like my own, particularly the feeling of insignificance before the awe of nature but also deeply connected to it. Your thoughts made me think about again about the painting