Art
#ink #landscapes #Max Naylor #oil paint #painting
“Narcissus” (2023), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters. All images © Max Naylor, shared with permission
Working with vivid washes of ink and oil paint, artist Max Naylor renders impressionistic dreamscapes that emerge from nostalgic memories and imaginary spaces. By focusing on natural textures like lamellar mushrooms climbing a tree trunk or the gentle ripples of water, Naylor creates what he calls a “parallel universe, a microcosm similar to our world but free from the chains of reality”. The scenes often veer towards the unnatural, favoring otherworldly color palettes and unlikely lighting. “In these spaces, it can be night and day simultaneously,” he says. “You can look up at the sky while noticing the plants blooming at your feet.”
The ethereal qualities of Naylor’s works echo his approach of letting flowing materials dictate the contours of compositions and letting landscapes “spring from my subconscious and overflow to the surface… The ink works are done quickly. In parallel, I work on larger oil paintings which take much longer. Working at these different paces keeps things fresh and exciting for me, with the ink works continually informing the oil works.
Based in Bristol, Naylor has a studio on Spike Island and currently teaches at the Royal Drawing School in London. You can find more of his landscapes on Instagram.
“Green Goddess” (2023), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters
“Devil’s Cauldron” (2023), oil on linen, 115 x 105 centimeters
“Mountainside” (2022), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters
“Phosphorescence” (2022), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters
“Kittens and crocuses” (2023), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters
#ink #landscapes #Max Naylor #oil paint #painting
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