St. Nicholas of Bari
Some work in response to Bicci di Lorenzo (active late 1380s - 1452). "St Nicholas of Bari Banishing the Storm" in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, depicts the saint rescuing a ship in distress. The work is a double-square, with the left-hand square showing St Nicholas in an early dawn, still starlit sky. The right-hand square remains in storm-filled darkness.
I liked the idea of making some pieces based on this stark division - contrasting activity with stillness.
I liked the idea of making some pieces based on this stark division - contrasting activity with stillness.
Studies ...

Calming the Storm (Terracotta)
15.0 x 12.5 cms
Acrylic and collage on board

Calming the Storm (Deep Green)
16.5 x 12.0 cms
Acrylic and collage on board
SOLD

Calming the Storm (Olive)
20.5 x 16.5 cms
Acrylic and collage on board

Calming the Storm (study)
20 x 14.5 cms
Acrylic and collage on board

Calming the Storm (Study)
20.7 x 15.5 cms
Acrylic and collage on paper
Large paintings

Large Green (Calming the Storm)
67 x 85 cms
Acrylic on board

Hot Orange (The tree that grows on the rocks
in the wind)
67 x 67 cms
Acrylic on board
Archive stills
I imagine finding an archive of photographic images from an abandoned boat found in the White Sea, near the town of St Nicholas, in northern Russia. These works are linked to "The Finding II".

Archive stills (St Nicholas) – nos. 138, 165
25 x 33 cm
Acrylic in two parts on board

Archive stills (St Nicholas) – nos. 16, 43
23 x 33 cm
Acrylic in two parts on board
The following are small-scale works which combine found photographs and collage. They explore the idea of how St Nicholas (now an 'ordinary man') might have reflected on his coming of the storm all those years ago ... How does he remember it? How did it affect him? Does that sense of wonder and blessing stay with him still?

There was even moonlight on the water ...
8 x 10 cms
Acrylic, collage and found photograph on board

Now I swim; then I flew ... into the lightening dawn
9.8 x 9.0 cms
Acrylic, collage and found photograph on board

The sunlight; everything fractured somehow
8.0 x 11.2 cms
Acrylic, collage and found photograph on board

It was cold and the stars were falling it seemed
17.8 x 12.4 cms
Acrylic, collage and found photograph on board

That was then
10 x 6 cms
Acrylic, collage and found photograph on board

I saw a man going under
18.7 x 9 cms
Acrylic, collage and found photograph on board

Above, and beyond the shadows
20.5 x 13.5 cms
Acrylic, collage and found photograph on board
Some other recent work ...

The Finding II
Acrylic & collage
SOLD

The Finding IV
Acrylic & collage
19 x 13.5 cms

Untitled (243)
15 x 11.5 cms
Acrylic & collage
NFS

M d'A-
13.5 x 11.0 cms
Acrylic, collage and charcoal

Bewick's Journey I
14.5 x 10.5 cms
Acrylic, collage and pencil
NFS

American Journey - before a storm
13.7 x 8.5 cms
Acrylic, collage & pencil