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| Moresby Church and Lowther Pit, Cumbria - Mixed Media |
Back in February this year I had the good fortune to discover by chance, an article about Percy Kelly in a Gaurdian review by Blake Morrison. Even before reading a word about him, the drama of this painting held huge appeal for me. I was also to discover the allure of many of his other works on browsing through it online.
The scene – set in a coastal village, comes across to me as a wild unstable environment in the way the subject has been handled
A preponderance of free loose brush strokes of dark paint over a light background is accompanied by liberal drips, splatters and dabs. This gives rise to a feeling of flux, as though just before the onset of a storm. It is an exciting electrically charged atmosphere.
A dark tower standing on a dark hilltop or cliff is silhouetted against a glowing patch of sky. This foreboding presence is a strong focal point very close to the top left edge of the picture. Though relatively small, it is a powerful placement in the picture space as my eyes are naturally drawn first to this upper left portion. Moving diagonally, slightly lower down and over to the right is the church, whose brightly lit surfaces contrast strongly with its thick dark outlines shrouded in deep green and white under a heavy dark threatening sky. Being surrounded by contrasting darker areas lends visual weight. I would regard this focal area as secondary to the tower as the church has slightly less emphasis.
On reading about Percy Kelly’s personality in the review – in a strange way, being difficult and reclusive only seems to add to his fascination. I can certainly relate to the fact that he was a late starter. He reportedly found it easy to continue painting or sketching nearly every day, despite the roller coaster nature of his life and suffering from depression. It seems remarkable to be able to say (and believe) “Drawing is as natural as walking” and “A piece of charcoal or chalk is as natural as my forefinger”. Judging by his output, I certainly believe it. As someone whose motivation can be erratic it strikes a chord with me, as I would love to be able to feel this way every day.
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