Ocean On Fire

Flames flicker across a watery surface. A dance of oranges, yellow & bordeaux red, interlacing with iridescent & titanium white, flash out over the blue-green depths below, a trio of fires with sources unknown. They are at play, vibrant with life & energy, charged with a fiery excitement that counters the cool flow of liquid life that ripples gently beneath them.

I had 2 mixed shades of paint, a green-blue & a blue-green from other pieces that I thought would make an interesting background blend for something more vibrant layered over the top. The oranges and richer yellow felt like the perfect combination, & I was keen to have 3 puddle pours of the same colours upon the canvas, with one being dominant. In a similar way to 'Fireball' it has a greater vibrancy to it, more kinetic energy, with a wonderful assortment of cells & lacing playing through the fiery aspects of it. There's also the interesting mix of iridescent & titanium whites, the iridescent white breaking through in a shimmering display of cells that subtly catch the light from different angles, prominent in 2 of the 3 dancing flames. Meanwhile, the bordeaux red & the oranges especially, melt their way into the outward flow of blues & greens as they dissolve toward the canvas edges.

MATERIALS
This painting is an original one-of-a-kind artwork, on a thin edged, back stapled, stretched canvas.

Artist grade acrylics are used, with the painting continuing down the sides of the canvas eliminating the need to frame. The artwork has been finished with 3 layers of professional grade archival gloss varnish for extra protection (including UV protection), colour enhancement and a smooth finish.

The artwork is signed on the back of the canvas & initialled on the side of the canvas at one corner. A certificate of authenticity is provided.

HANGING
The painting will come with D eyelets & wire attached.

IN SITU PHOTOS
‘In situ’ photos used are from within my own living space, so each picture is to scale with its surrounding items.

PACKAGING & DELIVERY
The artwork will be packaged & sent within 3 business days. It will be carefully double-wrapped in bubble wrap & boxed in sturdy cardboard. Packaging & delivery within Australia are included in the artwork price.

If you choose Bluethumb’s framing option please allow additional time for delivery.

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Derek is a Hobart based artist. Self taught.

Born in rural Western Australia, I grew up mostly in rural South Australia, with three family ventures to England for a dash of variety. My own restlessness as an adult prompted several moves around both Australia & England, as well as working in fields as diverse as retail, disability services, voluntary sector services, hospitality, furniture removals & energy healing. Throughout all these ventures & adventures, both writing & art remained a keen interest. A briefer than intended move to New Zealand to complete the final phase of writing my first novel, became an extended visit to Singapore & another return to Australia.
With my second return to Hobart, my interest in art quietly overtook my focus on writing, with my discovery and exploration of fluid art quickly dominating my pieces. There is an excitement in creating an artwork that you cannot control, where the result is part inspiration, part preparatory effort & intention, & finally submission to a process of mildly predictable chaos. The intended outcome may be broadly achieved, but the finer details of each piece are always unique & often surprising. The very fluidity of each colour flowing, blending, reacting as they are blown, tilted or spread over the canvas, creates an organic unfolding of myriad details that mesmerise as you explore the final piece.
And what I find most exciting about each piece, especially the purely abstract ones, is the almost endless variety of responses from those that view them. Do you see a wave? A flower? A cloud? A galaxy? Each artwork presents an opportunity for the observer to explore their own imagination as they get lost in the details.
I have found myself repeating certain styles that speak to me, my 'Ripple' series being one, but the process of stumbling along, exploring, learning & refining my expression of a largely unpredictable painting technique makes my heart sing, for want of a better term. It is a wonderful therapy & an even more wonderful gift to be sharing with those that derive pleasure from the finished works.