Artists Statement
'The Anicurio Collection':
Life can be so hard for us all sometimes. I want to bring something new and magical to people. Bring back a sense of wonderment and possibilities.
My artwork is simply pencil on paper. (Graphite and charcoal.) No computers were harmed. I'm fascinated with vintage Victorian photos. Perhaps it's with me being British. I think that the Victorians showed how they wanted us to see them. But despite their unflinching seriousness, they often let their true personality shine through.
As a twist, I anthropomorphize them. This is me continuing an artistic tradition that's around 150 years old. However, most practitioners of this style, would cartoonify them. Often for publications, editorials and post cards. I choose to retain the original and natural expression of the animal though.I think with the right context and composition, their true personalities can shine through. So, I prefer not to exaggerate their features. Retain their dignity.
My process: I often begin by thinking what type of animal I want to draw. What the personality of that animal might be. It's social class of the time. Its (human) body type. Each of my characters is carefully selected. I give names and back ground stories for them all. Some have long complicated histories.
Then I browse old photo’s, trying to find inspiration and reference. I typically add various props and backgrounds. Finally, I compose the images into one rough draft. Photo’s and my quick study sketches. This will be the reference for the drawing. Once finished, I often age the piece. Not always, but when I feel it needs it. (This is the nail biting part). I literally bathe it in everything from tea, coffee, soy sauce, lemon juice and then dry it with a heat gun.
Origionally, I would take the straightest path. This head works with this body. Ok. Let's draw that. But the better I become, the more confident also. So now my art tends to be very complex. They also seem to be taking a lot longer to do. and many are taking on more of a narative. I'm getting better at detail too. So I see a progression from my earlier works to my latest.
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Oil Paintings:
My oil paintings each deal with one moment, one story, or one emotion only.
It all really started with a piece I painted called 'Queue'. It was about a group of people standing (queuing) at a bus stop. I used to do a lot of that back in my native England. I always thought it was strange and a little sad that although we were all there huddled together in the cold, there was never any recognition of each other. It was as though if you did actually have the nerve to break the ice and start a conversation, the other person would simply jump backwards, startled, and say "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."
I didn't really have a style at the time. I just saw these curious figures in my head and wanted to paint them, just for fun. And so after I finished it, I was left wondering what to paint next, and in what style? But emboldened by my first attempt, I decided to further, and see what would happen with these characters I just created. Who were they? what were they to each other? where would they all be in 20 years from now?
'Queue' became the nexus for my whole style. I've since taken all of these characters and continued them in other paintings. Some as couplets, and some as a whole series of events throughout their lives. You can flip the pages back and forwards, like a photo album of their lives.
In fact, two of the characters on the painting I mentioned at the beginning, are older now. You can see them in a piece called The 'Telly'. But behind them, on the wall, is the painting of them from all those years ago........'Queue".