Alexander Mackenzie Midlothian, United Kingdom
Painting landscapes has been an integral part to my artistic life all along. Land- and cityscapes seem to come into view particularly when we begin to lose traction with the mundane everydayness of things. When we are undergoing some radical internal shift of priority or perspective, we are often grateful to notice landscape that has been there all the time, waiting for us to wake up to it...
Painting is by its very nature an entirely impossible task. The artist, the colours and materials and the moment agree to come together and when they do, each one changes its mind, thinks the whole gambit a marvellous arrogance, an ineffable miracle and altogether something that should be left to others. But like a good meeting, we allow a little space for the other, discover a sense of humour and see that a certain alchemy might result in something worthwhile to be expressed. It is at best a travail of the artist longing for home and at worst a miserable and intractable mistake. Then every now and again the sun peeps through and we say to one another, “Ah there you are” and carry on.
Painting with gouache offers the artist a time and a place to make a visual statement in a few minutes. Unlike the palette knife or the watercolour brush, the sweep of gouache is final and certain on a piece of good paper. It takes no hostages and it sorts out the good from the mediocre. There is nothing like gouache.
Oil painting on the other hand is a labour of love.
