NAPA title

Karrie Fox

Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom

For the past three or four years I have been capturing the movement of Koi Carp in my paintings.


My first step is to draw the composition directly onto the canvas using paint straight from the tube. Then I wash a thin but bright layer of magenta pink, sometimes cadmium orange, across the whole surface leaving highlights within the area of 'fish'. As a colourist my choice of pink or orange as a ground is based on my belief that the underlining colour can eventually be 'felt' through subsequent layers.


Next comes the addition of texture. I experiment directly onto the canvas with various commercial texture mediums. Acrylics are superb for this. This part can be fun….. no, actually I find it all fun. Then comes the only period of prolonged (!) drying time, usually overnight.


I never mix colour on a palette, as I prefer to layer very watery washes loosely across the paintings, allowing the paint to mix and drip. During this process the paintings (I work on a least two at a time) are turned from side to side and upside down etc. At least five layers are applied like this, usually a lot more. One of the washes will contain a metallic element, which allows the finished painting to sparkle under spotlights. When I am happy with the final colour I allow the paintings to dry (harden) for at least 24 hours before sandpapering the textured surfaces, this allows a glimpse of the layers, and highlights. The surface is then hosed down to remove all traces of dust. Finally I return to using undiluted paint and adding the final flourishes with a palette knife.

studio@karriefox.co.uk

www.karriefox.co.uk

Works Exhibited

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