In the Studio
We’re proud to launch Paul Kenton’s most impactful collection ever, with his signature bold colours and energetic lines expressed on a grand scale.
The pieces in Paul’s new Monumental collection are, quite simply, jaw-dropping in their impact. Their size, combined with Paul’s incredible artistic eye for both cities and nature, mean that Monumental has pieces which will make an incredible impact in your home for years to come.
In the collection, Paul has travelled the world to make paintings on aluminium, which makes them glow with the excitement of the cities he loves. There are two pieces from Dubai in Monumental, ‘Dubai Sunburst’ and ‘Golden Hour in Dubai’. “In the first piece, energetic drips and splats in the sky draw your eye towards the iconic Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world,” explains Paul. “I wanted to capture the awe of Dubai at sunset, when the skyline comes alive with lights and the sun soaks the city in warm tones.
Paul has also featured London in all its grandeur in Monumental. ‘Glowing St Pauls’ and ‘The Big Smoke’ show his favourite view of the church and the City of London.
“‘The Big Smoke’ took my painting to a new level. I painted with a totally spontaneous and impressionistic approach, building up thick paint marks and splashes to create a pleasing composition which draws you into the piece. It was an absolute joy to paint.”
There’s also ‘Last Rays Over Venice’, another favourite city of Paul’s. “You can’t beat a subtle sunset over Venice, when the city and canals are bathed in warm golden light. Alongside a soft tonal palette, I incorporated touches of metallic paint into this painting to emphasise the shimmering quality of the sunset. I wanted to capture a moment of calm in a busy stretch of water taking passengers to and fro.”
And naturally, Paul has created pieces featuring his trademark New York scenes, made more thrilling than ever by their monumental dimensions. “’Chasing the Sun’ is all about capturing the awe of the sunset, which soaks the New York cityscape in intense warm light that bounces between skyscrapers and the city streets. Bright yellow taxis hurtling towards distant red skyscrapers guide the eye into the centre of the painting, which has lots of texture and movement as it has been painted with bold, thick marks and splashes of paint."
“The composition of ‘Manhattan Bridge Reveals’ is perfect for capturing the distant bridge which is framed by the tunnelling buildings and lights. I incorporated metallic paint into my palette to accentuate the impression of shimmering streets after rainfall.”
“I try to capture atmosphere through medium-to-large brushstrokes. Because of the size of the brush marks and my use of scrapers, it has a natural Impressionistic feel. I don’t try to fit into any genres – my work is made through pure instinct and many years of painting."
“Obviously the size looks impressive, but it also allows me to do large brushstrokes. When you’re painting tiny pieces, it’s easier to use smaller brushes so you don’t leave big brush marks. This scale allows me to paint very freely, and by applying the paint fast, it will drip onto other sections of the painting.
“I actually use this as a part of the painting because it creates an Impressionistic feel. You will see those marks – I call them happy accidents – but they are part of the artwork. There is never a mistake within a piece, because it’s all meant to be there for a reason.”
