I painted this portrait in acrylic on a 32″ x 40″ canvas to show my turbulent mind after I suffered a stroke at the age of 36.
The mood board below shows my thought process in developing this portrait.
I wanted the painting to show how I felt immediately after suffering a stroke. At that point I was immobile in bed, scared, with a lack of sensation on my right side. I was also experiencing synaesthesia and could temporarily ‘see’ music – it was green and sinuous and twisting. I wanted the right side of the picture to show these sensations and the left to be more positive and hopeful in colour.
I included sketches, colour charts and inspiration from a portrait by Matisse that separated the colour in the way I had in my mind.
