Verano

Verano is inspired by a photograph I took at the Plaza de Toros in Ronda, Spain. I was drawn to the simplicity of the scene: a long, almost empty wall, interrupted by a scarlet door, a lantern and the passing figure of a monk.

The painting deliberately reduces the architecture to its essential forms. Much of the surface is left as a broad field of muted blue-grey, allowing the small areas of colour and human presence to carry disproportionate weight. The scarlet door provides the strongest contrast, while the lantern and its shadow introduce a quieter sense of light and movement.

Rather than describing the Plaza de Toros in detail, I was interested in the atmosphere of a hot Spanish summer afternoon and in how little information a painting sometimes needs to establish a sense of place. The title Verano, meaning summer, reflects this sense of heat, stillness and light.

The painting continues my interest in architecture, reduction and the quiet presence of people within otherwise empty spaces.