Man & Beast

Indian ink and dye

18.5 x 27 cm

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In the foreground, a man sits contemplating the beast. Perhaps it is our shadow-self - our capacity for chaos and evil; the light giving hope to his chances of acting for the good in spite of the beast. There is a 'beginning of time' atmosphere to the piece - the intense orange light illuminating the man's face symbolising mankind's keen survival instinct and intellect as well as the presence of hope. It is a depiction of an internal struggle to balance dark and light. The soft pinks and blues in the scene suggest moments of balance, contrasted by the intense orange, which jar and pose a problem. It is a contemplative depiction of the balancing act of orientating oneself in life, sometimes doing so successfully and struggling at others.

£sold

Fields of Athenry

Acrylic on board

29.6 x 41.9 cm

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This painting was inspired by thoughts on the solitary process of painting; the constant and often unglamorous work that happens continually out of sight. In the painting, a man goes diligently searching in the night for something to nourish him and his dog. Where I knew that the painting was inspired by thoughts on the hard work of painting and the search for inspiration, I also felt that there was something more to the image. I knew the idea had come from somewhere defined or related to something specific, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. For three days it remained a mystery until it clicked: There was a song I was learning at the time called ‘Fields of Athenry’ by The Dubliners. It’s a sad song about a man who is sent to prison for stealing someone’s corn to keep his children alive and there is one particular line which struck me: ‘You stole Trevelyn’s corn, so the young might see the morn, now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay’. I had been thinking that line through over and over and I think the image of this man going off into the night is based on that line. The man’s face posture acknowledge that there is a risk involved. The pursuit of one’s own ideas requires courage - the journey, taking place at the threshold of the unknown is one without security or defined results. The encounter with the self is not always pleasant and sharing work leaves you exposed to others’ judgement. Despite all this, we know what we have to do and we must do it, otherwise something starves. 

(with hand-painted, upcycled custom frame) £279.00

​to buy this painting, click here or email samderbysmith@gmail.com

Pushing a Horse ii

Indian Ink, watercolour and gouache on 300 gsm paper

16.4 x 12.6 cm

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The nude man struggles to get the horse to move, while the horse looks back at the man, apparently oblivious to the idea of moving. The horse came up in my paintings quite a lot and over time I began to understand it as a symbol representing something that can be ridden but also has an independence of its own: the act of painting or something taking place in my mind out my control. At the time of painting, I was fixated by the question of what to paint, believing that if I find the invisible thread and follow it, it will lead me to all things great. At times, I would push the horse but it would not yield ideas or even take a step forwards, the thread was not there... As I started to become aware that I was forcing something, an observer appeared, making me aware that I didn't have to push so hard: the nonchalant sailor looking-on, his demeanour exuding the attitude: 'don't bother, mate'. Here I am slogging away, and all the while, in spite of my anxieties and efforts, the wrong force never moved it forward. 

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(with hand-painted, upcycled custom frame) £279.00

​to buy this painting, click here or email samderbysmith@gmail.com

Night Search

Indian Ink & Watercolour on board

25.5 x 18.5 cm

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Abstract blue and black shapes mark out the space in this mysterious painting showing a sequence of a man on a search or a journey with his dog and spade. The spade indicates that there is digging to do and the setting that is merged for the different stages in the sequence. It is a strange space which doesn't obey the normal rules of time and space: the internal space of the mind and in particular the mind at night / out of the view of consciousness. The image to me is a depiction of the process of the mind at work during non-time (eg. sleep) when ideas that are below the surface can be dug out and brought to light. The search is one that never ends, nor does it follow the traditional trajectory: the sequence in the top row reads from left to right (traditional) but in the bottom row, the direction is reversed - indicative of a space where the normal rules do not apply. 

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£sold