31 Oct Saturday…with scented reflections

When I’m not filling my table with lopped off flower heads, I paint… and painting has always been the impetus and background to my photographic compositions on The Table before Instagram and blogging were ever in my life…

And this week I’ve been up to my eyes with painting, as on Thursday I ran 2 synaesthesia based workshops for The Perfume Soceity with Illuminum, London at the Illuminum gallery in Mayfair.

I had been sent 5 of the Illuminum fragrances a few weeks ago which I had painted sketches of, and I had also composed a photographic composition inspired by scent for the cover of the Perfume Society’s magazine ‘The Scented Letter’…
Being a synaesthete means that I see the shapes, colours and textures which accompany the senses and through paint I am able to create an impression of what goes on inside my head…

My favourite scent out of the 5 I was given was ‘Taif Rose’ which I decided I would translate into a large canvas painting…
( I started off in the shed but as the hours went on I decamped to the back room, so I could just slink off to bed in the early hours, and then carry on in the morning… )The other fragrances I was sent were…

‘Black Rose’‘White Musk’‘Black Oud’‘Tribal Black Tea’I went to visit the gallery space last week where the workshops were held and where an amazing installation occupies the gallery…It’s called ‘Colour as a Narrative’ and was put together by Antonino CardilloAs the participants were not only going to be smelling perfumes but also drawing and painting the scent, I spent a bit of time during the week choosing some materials…( and also using my new and very favorite ‘Colour Dictionary’ of pencils from Niwaki )I set up at the gallery on Thursday and also brought along shade cards, flowers and ceramics by Holly Bell, so that colour and texture was around and inspiring but without being intrusive…I had pre prepared textured small canvases for everyone, and basically encouraged the inner abstract I believe everyone has, but something which people just need the time and space to explore…it was very satisfying to see everyone completely absorbed in their own creative worlds completely working with their senses…

I wasn’t very handy with my phone during the event as all hands were needed for painting and explaining, but luckily the absolutely amazing photographer Aliona Adrianova was there taking the wonderful images below… ( and you must take a look at her incredible portraits here )

( You can see more of my synaesthetic paintings here and please contact me if you would like to discuss a commission or purchase. There is also a Steller Story version you can look at here )