Art
ARTIST AT WORK
No. 21: John Gammans, Coda, acrylic on board, 102 x 91cm
I
start with a seed of inspiration; in this instance from a series of en plein air sketches of a fastdeveloping weather front. I break the silence of a plain, white board using a monochromatic layer of red and white paint to create a pink composition and establish tonal values, applied with a broad brush using dynamic strokes. At this early stage, I am not only establishing values but also the direction and energy that I intend subsequent layers to follow, by applying multiple layers of contrasting cool colours, predominately with large palette knives, blending with paint brushes, squeegees and a water spray. Encouraging small areas of the underlying colour to show through, I continue to maintain the tonal balance, composition and energy of the painting. The 14 | Sherborne Times | August 2020
process becomes about the application and erosion of alternating layers. Applying thick layers, mark-making into the wet paint and when dry, scratching into the paint with coarse sandpaper to reveal some underlying history of the painting. The combinations within this technique help me to construct the painting’s character, encouraging happy accidents to emerge throughout the process. I like that the end result can be open to interpretation, so long as the emotion and energy of the piece comes through, I’m happy. Coda is available to purchase for £800 johngammans.co.uk
