It’s observing at reasonable speed as the coppice comes in to view at the top of the road incline. The braking for the corner and narrowed road for the bridge has been completed as the trees are passed. Sometimes I’d look at the base of the trees to see what was lying on the grass and other times I’d glance up into the canopy.

This was repeated each time I journeyed back to Hereford in the winter months of January and February for two years.   Each time adding to the picture and building the painting in my mind.  Movement in the stillness and the cool colours of the season. It wasn’t always raining of course.

Every time I returned by this particular section just outside Hereford it was a switch point in my head. Just for a moment as I got further away from the concerns, emotions and shades of darkness that lay in the distance from where I’d travelled. Being close to being back to the comfort of home. Then a few days of uplifting respite and the distraction of concentrating on my life here and work before starting the journey again.

The painting’s name reflects the comment of someone who saw the piece and said, “Pretty in pink”. The lead actress of the film of the same name, released on February 28th 1986 – just happened to be called Molly Ringwald. “Wald” is wood in German. “Ringwald” is painted in acrylic sometimes mixed with luminescent medium, plus silver acrylic. On a cotton primed canvas 40 x 50 x 1.5 cm.

How Ringwald was made

As this was from a series of thoughts and images I did sketches and test pieces for some of the effects.

See more about the mediums and unusual tool used for painting Ringwald in the next blog.

Ringwald is a 40 x 50 cm acrylic and mixed media painting on shallow canvas. It shimmers and shines as the light around it changes.