David Drain

Each of the paintings in this series, which I have named PRESENCES is both direct and slow-revealing. I strive always to balance impact with subtlety, inviting the viewer to inhabit a space that is at once immediate and contemplative. The tension between control and accident, intention and drift, implicit in PRESENCES invites not just seeing, but potentially a felt sense of resonance and emotional engagement. These paintings do not impose meaning; they invite it

This series WHISPERS at its core holds the challenge for me as an artist of creating abstract works which whisper to you and intrigue you, the viewer. Brush marks , brush strokes made by hand can have infinitely different messages within their form, shape, intention and intensity. In these paintings I have chosen to experiment with subtlety and fine nuances as visual messages within the overall dynamic of abstraction. These paintings are visual voices, whispering their essence to you.

Memories are elusive, at times fleeting. Working with this series I am looking to capturing whispers of images relating to memories, appearing and dissolving in my awareness. All of these paintings are created on the floor in my studio. Here I can again and again go back to each painting and pick up the thread of emotion, imagery, imagination involved in allowing the painting to unfold.. Often the paintings in the series inform one another in the making, or rather in the letting happen. There is a vagueness to the process,, a lack of logic, at times an elusive unfolding of the conversation taking place between the developing image and myself. And what I notice is that my own memory of incidents in my past becomes entwined with the elements of the enfolding abstract image, in the subtle interplay of lines and forms and hues in the paintings.

LANARK is one of my latest ongoing abstract series. And LANARK is the name of the small Scottish town where I was born and spent my childhood and teenage years before going to University in Glasgow. Creating this series has been an emotional journey for me, a rollercoaster of memories, imaginings, joyful events and challenging times. My father was a coal miner., We lived in modest circumstances. Lanark is in the Scottish Southern Uplands, a beautiful part of Scotland, with rolling hills and fascinating seashores. The series represents an experiment for me, with the challenge of working through a process based on fleeting images from my past. And in doing so, perhaps coming to terms with my life then. I think I can best describe this series a "dreamscapes".

IMAGINING SERIES Are these landscape paintings, images from dreams, or a memory, or are they just my imagination? Maybe they are vividly remembered places or simply the result of spontaneous play in my studio. Do the elements in the paintings interact and impact one another? Is there a dynamic tension between these elements? Are the "empty" spaces actually empty? We could call the paintings a series of inner landscapes, maybe. Or even “dreamscapes”. What do you think? Do the paintings nudge your curiosity?

This ongoing series of paintings reflect my growing understanding of IMPERFECT AS ESSENTIAL as being critically important in many ways. Here I my intention is to visually capture imperfection combined with fascination.

In this series I have created paintings which have black as the prominent colour. And the combination with a limited palette of additional hues lends a dramatic impression.

Each of these works is a unique original painting, created in my studio. Mostly they are smaller versions of planned larger works. Each stands alone as a completed painting. I apply a layer of Gesso to the paper initially, which assists in the creation of fine textures.

These abstract artworks encourage savouring the moment and exploring each painting for hidden treasures. This is an ongoing artistic experiment, working on refining the experience of contemplative observation. The paintings serve as a bridge towards a meditative encounter, inviting genuine immersion and revealing layers of simplicity and complexity.

Here in this series David is challenging himself in creating a body of paintings which incorporate the duality of harmony and chaos. These artworks are about a combination of an meditative approach, together with a sense of unfolding chaos. The combination of ease as the main element of the paintings, enhanced by the overall quiet spaciousness, together with the disolving darker forms provides us with a moment of chaos within the calm.

I tend to move back and forth in my studio between large and smaller works. Often a smaller painting will then be used as a jumping off point for a larger version, not necessarily looking similar, but providing the seeds of intention for the larger work. And sometimes, these smaller works, in my own view, turn out to be little gems in themselves. What do you think?

Currenty designated as "Untitled", waiting for a name as a series. The name of this newe series will be added soon.