Dud Corner, 1986

Reading Robert Graves's book 'Goodbye to All That' while coincidentally travelling through Flanders, I came across the Commonwealth War Grave which had names of his fallen comrades. The mood of disquiet at this place provoked the making of this work.

I work in acrylic because it allows me to experiment; making changes quickly is paramount when wishing to explore my options. I apply the acrylic in successive washes to achieve a soft structure and usually reinforce areas with a more opaque use of the pigments. I use artists' hogs-hair brushes to apply and manipulate the paint, with large 4" brushes to spread the washes and break up the linework. The work is painted on a Superior Studland board, as I like the rigidity and fine surface, and the longevity has a proven record.