Buddha

The Buddha's face takes the top of the canvas, and everything below it runs down. The eyes are closed, the lips full, the features large, and all that lies under the chin spreads out into texture and gold.

“Buddha”, 100 × 70 cm on canvas, mixed texture technique.

I made the runs with a liquid mass and let it flow on its own. The only control is the tilt of the canvas. The pattern is new every time.

The gold went onto the runs unevenly, in bands. The silver stayed on the face, which is why the face is colder than everything around it.

This work looks down at you, and it should hang above eye level. At face height it loses its calm and starts to press.

Its place is a living room by the fireplace, a room kept for practice, a bedroom on a side wall.

With warm walls, ochre and wood it goes without thinking. On cold grey the gold goes out and the face comes out grey too.