My paintings are an exploration of my chosen medium, oil paint, and portraiture is just the starting point. They contain vast areas of empty canvas; of canvas with the lightest of washes or thickly loaded brush marks. Scribblings and measurements are dotted across the surface, reminders of colours and sketched seem to be keeping the painting upright.

This may appear to be hurried or unfinished but it’s the exact amount needed to fulfil my curiosity. I don’t want to paint portraits, I want to paint paintings. I feel this gives the work humility, they are about colour, form, balance etc. any connection to the subject or narrative the viewer walks away with is pure coincidence.

richard james

Artworks by richard james

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Sets Study by richard james

Oil painting