Okay, I can’t stand it any longer, I just have to share Joseph Plaskett’s remarkable floral oil paintings. Luckily there is a continuing theme from previous blogs and that is, as in many of his pastels, Plaskett sometimes leaves part of the support, in this case canvas, bare. You’ll be able to see this clearly in the closeups.

 

I am going to gush a bit here because I think these paintings are such a joy to behold. I visited Winchester Galleries last September to see the most recent exhibition of his work and these are some of the photos I took. (You may recall from a previous blog my disappointment that Joe could not make the trip from England for the opening.)

 

 

Look at Plaskett’s assured brushstrokes, the confident flattened areas of colour, the tilted perspective allowing us to see more than if he’d kept to a more traditional aspect, the outlining of each object and flower that looks completely natural although not seen in nature, the dynamic design structure. These are the things I admire. It’s much more difficult to understand and articulate my emotional response to his paintings. I think all of the above contribute in conjunction with the joie de vivre that comes forth from each work. I can feel the hand of the artist working from his heart and soul, his exuberance and passion for his subject and the paint itself explicit. (I did warn you I was going to rhapsodize a bit!)

 

Let me quote you a few of Plaskett’s own words from the Winchester Galleries 2010 catalogue:

 

“Every work of art has its own story to tell, not in words, but in visual images. They tell something about the character of the artist, what things he sees with his own eyes and falls in love with. Subject matter is only incidental. The painting lives by its own singular vitality. What makes one painting more eloquent and another fail? There is no formula for what makes it come alive. There is always mystery. Success comes when something miraculous happens. The painter sees the world in his own private way. Each painting has to say something that has not been said before. …. The artist must be constantly questioning.”

 

And these next words resonate with me!

 

“In the act of creation there is a constant battle between hope and despair, between elation and doubt.”

 

And finally he ends:

 

“Enough with words. Look at the paintings. Their language is made of lines, colours, shapes, spaces, telling stories far more real than words.”

 

So let’s have a look. By the way, you will see many items reused as subject matter by Plaskett – see if you can count how many times they appear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, so I went overboard with the images as well. I just couldn’t help myself! I’d love to know your reaction to these pieces.

 

Thanks for keeping me company on my art-loving journey 🙂

 

Until next time,

 

~ Gail

 

 

PS. Bouquets for you Mum!!