Collaborative Paintings with artist Holli Macnamara

In May I worked with artist Holli Macnamara on collaborative paintings at the Devonshire Collective in Eastbourne.

Hollie, who saw my website, had only a few weeks earlier contacted me. Realising that we have a similar approach in our creative practice we decided to work collaboratively on paintings.

We had set up for a full weekend, occupied the DC 3 workshop space and got messy. After a few quick and satisfying small canvases we decided to work large on wallpaper laid out in long bars on the floor.

The process was intense, some times frustrating and very challenging as we worked informal, without giving us a specific subject. Form, colour, movement and texture was important for us. Finding a composition that would please us both was difficult and we were going from creation to destruction and re-creation many times. At one point the work seemed so messy and dark, nearly destroyed… We did recover it and followed on to a square format on stretched canvas. The square format felt comfortable to both of us, providing an equal sized ‘playing area’.

We booth felt we just only started what could become a fruitful relationship in painting. There is still lots to discover about each our methods and thinking processes and we are looking forward to meet again, continuing our painterly adventures.

Below some images of the process: