Editorial
� TweedleDoAnd TweedleDon't
Canvaseditionof150 ImageSize20”x20” FramedSize28”x28” Framed£395
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� I'mLate,I'mLate! Resinsculpture Editionof150 Height9” £295
� WelcomeTo Wonderland
MixedMediaOriginal ImageSize27½”x27½” £1,950 ImageSize31½”x31½” £2,250 � JamTomorrowAndJam Yesterday,ButNever JamToday MixedMediaOriginal ImageSize27½”x27½” £1,950
designed an intricate tableau comprising hundreds of hand-made objects. Among the visual treasures are 20 locks and 20 keyholes, and quirky detail such as the Owl and the Pussycat who are seen floating in their beautiful peagreen boat along a river of tea that is being poured from a teapot. It’s little wonder that this painting took four months to complete, from creating the models to the final brushstroke. With every viewing of A Most Curious Way to Wonderland , We’re All Quite Mad Here! , Tweedle Do and Tweedle Don’t and the other paintings in the collection, you’ll find new and different idiosyn- cratic characteristics and tiny repeated themes. It was important to Smith that the Tim Burton-esque style of the characters reflected the quirky nature of the book that accompanies the collection. “When I used to read as a child, I didn’t like it if the illustrations didn’t reflect the book; it was if the illustrator hasn’t read it,” he said. “I wanted to make sure you aren’t let down when you read the story.” The oil on board paintings are prepared meticulously. After spending days or weeks staging the objects and setting up the lighting, and photographing each and every aspect, Smith draws the outline on the board, making sure that every detail is perfect. Only once he is happy does he seal the board with varnish to create a smooth surface on which to work on. Then he carefully fills his canvas with colour before repeating the process to get the detail just right. “It’s a hard slog,” he admits. “The techniques I use are really quite old fashioned.” While Smith might consider his painting methods “old school”, there’s certainly nothing staid or ordinary in the magical worlds he creates on canvas. GALLERY The new collection fromPeter Smith is available now. Viewonline at castlegalleries.com
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56 FIN e ARTC o LL e CT o R AUTUMN2015
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