This is an abstract painting, based on the classic 'Popular Penguin' paperback books, a style icon. I wanted to take the original format of the book cover and transform it, distorting it with thick brushstrokes, abstracting the text into symbolic lines, retaining the essence of the original inspiration but also becoming something new.

The paintings in this series were created over many sessions. The orange areas have a red undercoat, covered with three or four coats of the semi-transparent orange, leaving marks and splashes visible. The surface is impasto and textural, with many spatters and signs of overpainting and reworking.

In terms of the application of the paint, I would cite the work of Jasper Johns, Robert Motherwell and Franz Kline as inspirations.

These striking paintings will look fantastic in any home.