The Lovers

Description

Limited Edition Reproduction of 100 Only

How are ideas conceived? Where does inspiration spring from?

Well the idea and inspiration for this painting, ‘The Lovers’ I owe to a work entitled ‘The Wedded’ painted in 1882 by Lord Fredric Leighton. I‘d uncovered photo-reference of a rock-hewn landscape with cascading water. It grabbed my attention and I figured that it might just be the starting point for a new painting.

I planned endless variations using this landscape in the hope that I might conjure up that – Ahh! – moment when all the ducks line up and you realise, cor’ blimey you‘ve got the idea for a painting!

Problem was, although all the ducks lined up I didn’t get that – Ahh! – moment. Then I remembered Freddie Leighton and everything fell into place.

Leighton was principally a Pre-Raphaelite. In ‘The Wedded’ his focus of attention is a young couple locked in embrace. Back in Freddie Leighton‘s time he would have hired models and props but in the 21st. Century that’s no longer possible. Too expensive.

So, having sorted out the landscape background I set about finding ‘my couple’ who would be the principal focus in my picture.

And, in the same way a Frankenstein-like surgeon would stitch together their creatures, my couple are drawn together using different heads, bodies, limbs and costume paraphernalia in the hope that they too will live. Who knows, maybe they'll become lovers!