Simon and Pat had spent some time in Cambodia before Christmas and had taken lots of photos. Simon was taken with the idea of commissioning a piece based on one or more of these photos. He came up with a shortlist from the hundreds that he had taken and over a cup of coffee we decided on which ones would work best as a piece of artwork. Once the final pictures were chosen, the other considerations were the size and the style or medium of the piece. The size was somewhat dictated by Simon and Pat’s unique living arrangements in that their home is a narrow boat and the available wall space is at a premium. In terms of the style, Simon was happy to give me total creative freedom to interpret the pictures in whichever way I felt appropriate - my perfect kind of customer!
The photo’s were based around water. Densely populated dwellings built on stilts a few feet above the water. Boats being used by fisherman going about their business. Plenty of bright and vibrant colours all exaggerated by the direct sunlight and the dark shadows cast by the buildings and canopies.
The aim of the painting was not just to reproduce the photograph but to try and tell the story of the subject matter. In the top painting, the complex criss-crossing of the stilts that support the dwellings drew my attention - the way each stilt appeared incredibly dark against the brightness of the background. The architecture is in sharp focus - you can clearly see the building materials that were used and the way they are structured to create the various living spaces. It seems at first glance like a very fragile construction but maybe there is hidden strength in there?
The middle painting is very different. A story is being told of the natural environment supporting a man and his family. A fisherman is at work, poised just inches above the surface of the water. His crouching position gives me the impression that he is very focussed on what he is doing. I imagine that the skills and knowledge built up over the generations all combine in this one moment. The boat looks as if it’s literally millimeters above the surface - such fine lines between success and failure in his business. In the distance you can make out other pieces of equipment - poles and orange netting. Maybe they’re all part of his operation?
The third painting is a busy picture of fisherman in the foreground going out to or returning from work against the backdrop of a vast array of colour made up of individual dwellings on stilts, washing hanging out to dry and canopies reflecting the brightness of the sunlight. It brings together in one image the two themes of the overall piece of family life and working life in this part of the world. I wanted to make sure the boat didn’t get lost against the background. I achieved this by using the highlights of the figures and the boat iteslf against the dark background. Just a small detail but I particularly like the rectangular white highlights which appear on the left hand side of the boat.
One of my overall aims was to create a piece of work which, at first glance, looked like a photograph but then upon closer inspection you are able to see the craftsmanship that has gone into building up the painting through the brush strokes and different washes of watercolour. I’m really pleased with the finished result. A watercolour painting which really captures the atmosphere and tells the story of the location.
So most importantly, what did Simon and Pat make of the painting?
“Wow, wow, wow !!!!!! You have captured everything we wanted and more...it is beautiful.
Thank you soooo much!”
