Conflict is so pointless.....

More in the series examining the effects of conflict and war..... It is a juggling act to produce paintings that have something to say about difficult and painful social issues, but are still atractive enough to live with! Whilst really in your face, angst filled art is powerful and good, it is sometimes so disturbing that most people would not want to live with it, and this makes it inaccessable, thus diluting the effect. I choose to dilute the impact of the picture itself, make the art more accessible, and thus make it more likely to find its way into a home and continue to send its message. Time will tell if this is a wise choice, but it is a conscious one that seems to be working for me now.

Afghanistan Weeps

1000 x 1000 mm

oil/mixed media on canvas

I chose Ultramarine speckled with metallic colours to represent lapis lazuli, the rare semi precious mineral synonymous with Afghanistan. The flowers are a version of the poppy, which I often use to represent the fallen in war. The desert landscape weeps for the women and children of that repressive country.... what does the future hold for them?

Can we meet somewhere in the middle?

1200 x 1000 mm

Mixed media on canvas

Another one, partner to the one in the previous post, about healing divisions... and a need to look for common ground in order to seek a resolution to conflict......