Love Potion No 9

Recently I was thrilled to sell this paintng to the Janet Holmes a Court Colletion in Western Austalia.

Love Potion No 9 is a very mysterious painting. It just flowed out. I began by painting the idea of the river, the sea; water moving, and tried to give a sense of depth with very basic seaweed (giant kelp) shapes. When the water was complete the shapes began to make themselves known. For me these shapes ( some often appearing in my work) symbolise bodies/ideas/vessels floating in water/life. We can't control water and we can't control death or love. The nine relates to the death of my father (in 2018), who often said he had nine lives. It's also a reference to the famous song, which is all about the desire for permission to 'let go and love'. Of course these are just my understanding of the painting- others can read their own stories...

Love Potion No 9, 2019, 1800 x 140 cm, oil on canvas