April Sky began as a series of loose, fluid layers—an open surface where colour could move freely before structure emerged.
In the early stages, the painting is less defined. Pigment is allowed to circulate, settle, and interact, creating a field of movement rather than a fixed composition. These initial layers establish the underlying energy that remains present in the final work.
As the surface develops, certain areas begin to hold while others are softened or partially obscured. The process moves gradually between control and release, allowing the composition to form through accumulation rather than direct construction.
What remains visible in the finished painting is only part of what has occurred. Earlier states continue to influence the surface, even when they are no longer fully seen.
Alongside this process, fragments of these early layers often lead to new work.
The image above shows one of the first layers of April Sky, alongside the beginning of a Residual Fields painting developed from the same surface language.
While the GeoFlora works expand outward—building density, movement, and spatial depth—the Residual Fields paintings move in the opposite direction, reducing the image to its most essential elements.
Both bodies of work remain connected through this shared starting point.
