February 2026.
I am continuing my search for shapes, framing and pictorial materials for my ‘Pareidolia’ series and its strong contrasts.
I have abandoned (for the moment) oil and cold wax medium with a satin finish. I am now exploring glossy acrylics, like stained glass, and finding satisfaction in them.
I am inspired by chiaroscuro, by night-time interiors lit by street lamps. I often imagine nights of urban riots, without being bothered by the prospect of violence. I also see houses on fire, living rooms ablaze, Asian restaurant kitchens, kebab shops and other places open at night, far from the chic of Michelin-starred establishments.
The power of drama underpins these works and brings the images to life.
I can remain in the abstract. Or, sometimes, I let the semi-abstract live, referring to the pareidolia that emerges.
My palette is simple and strong, paradoxically composed solely of transparent colours: transparent yellow iron oxide, nickel azo yellow, quinacridone gold nickel azo (my favourite), transparent red iron oxide, burnt orange quinacridone, the extraordinary green gold, sap green, Van Dyke brown and carbon black, systematically cut with fluid acrylic medium to make it transparent. These colours are glossy. I ultimately prefer this aspect to mattness because it brings incomparable depth to the tones, such as oil painting. ( In fact, I have started applying gloss varnish to my previous satin CWM oils.)
I work on canvas or paper, animating the surfaces with textured gels. On these backgrounds, I apply my colours starting with the lightest and building up the shadows, as in watercolour, which inspires me greatly. I even sometimes ‘lift the whites’ to reveal the whiteness of the support, as in watercolour.
I mainly use squeegees, spatulas, bank cards and various scrapers as tools. I put and remove colour, revealing the roughness of the background. Flat brushes allow me to blur certain areas and make them recede visually. Drips can structure surfaces, restoring depth or proximity. I constantly play with foreground and background.
I work in this way, seeking to delight my eyes and mind, offering myself subjects that excite me, in this striking chiaroscuro effect.
See photos of artworks in progress.
