Have you ever walked up to a painting in a gallery and found yourself wanting to reach out and touch it?
There is something undeniably magnetic about the surface of an original oil painting. It’s not just a flat image on a canvas; it’s a three-dimensional landscape of its own. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about this, especially as I’ve been re-photographing my work to capture its true, essence.
The natural lighting really shows off the true colors and, most importantly, the rich textures that make oil paint such a premium resource.Let me show you what I mean with one of my recent pieces, ROUGH AND TUMBLE.
This piece captures two young zebras having fun at the edge of the main herd. As with humans, play is an essential part of daily life for these fabulous, feisty creatures. But beyond the story of the zebras, I want to draw your eye to the paint itself.
When you look closely at Rough and Tumble, you don’t just see color; you see the physical journey of the brush and the palette knife.
I use quite a lot of thick paint in my work in a technique known as impasto. When oil paint is applied thickly like this, it catches the light in unique ways, casting tiny, delicate shadows across the canvas. As the light in your room changes throughout the day, the painting almost seems to change with it. It feels alive.
But the beauty of oil paint isn't just in how it looks today; it’s in how it lasts. Oil paint is a premium, historic medium for a reason. When properly cared for, a well-crafted oil painting on canvas is incredibly durable. The rich textures and vibrant pigments will maintain their depth and beauty for generations.When you invest in an original oil painting, you aren't just buying a piece of decor to fill a blank space on a wall. Because of the archival quality of the materials, you are acquiring a precious heirloom. This is something that will last for hundreds of years. And, as original art is a finite resource, pieces like this only tend to accrue in value over time.
So the next time you look at an original oil painting, take a moment to style of the paint application. Notice the ridges, the sweeps, and the thick dabs of color. That texture is the artist's fingerprint, frozen in time, ready to be passed down through the years.
This physicality is something you simply cannot get from a print or a digital reproduction. Those thick, luscious layers of oil paint are what make an original painting truly unique and special. No one could ever replicate those exact peaks and valleys of paint again.
If you’d like to see more of the natural textures in my work, or if you're interested in bringing ROUGH AND TUMBLE (80 x 100 cm / 30 x 40") into your own home, you can view the full listing for Rough and Tumble directly here: Rough and Tumble — Original Zebra Oil Painting, 80 x 100 cm (£1,350)
Global shipping is insured and secure, and fine art is still tariff-free to the USA. Framing is also available on request
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