Reflections at Studland Marsh, oil and acrylic on canvas, 693941/2in (1753240cm). ‘This is the painting that took a year and a half. The textures are strong and there is so much paint on this canvas that it weighs around 50kg. I liked the contrast between the reflections of the sky and the trees and grasses growing in the water. A lot of sketches were made for this painting.’
Michael Sole often spends months at a time observing his subject matter in order to take the atmosphere of the landscape back into the studio and on to his canvases. ‘I am particularly fascinated by the sea, and how it offers such an interesting base for experimentation with painting. I feel very strongly that energy must be met with energy – big seas and a powerful subject benefit from energetic, physical and confident painting, which usually includes dripping, pouring, throwing, lifting, shaking and so on. I often pick subjects that are complemented by my materials and processes.’
Painting intuitively