You’ll know I never shy away from a beautiful forest scene when I am looking at creating an enchanting piece and here is one that really is wonderful. I spend considerable time looking into the filming locations for The Lord of the Rings and there were two front runners - the Mararoa River and the enchanting Fangorn Forest, both in New Zealand. My 2017 piece entitled ‘Gandalf’s Brought F*cking Cake!’ was really vibrant and quirky and for this current installment I wanted to do something completely beautiful in contrast to the other two bold and brutal pieces of this collection. From those who have studied my portfolio you will see a good number of horses featured and you will be forgiven to think that I am a keen rider yet no, no chance! However, I find them incredibly powerful and mysterious and perfectly fitting for this scene where we see Gandalf’s horse ‘Shadowfax’ galloping through the trees towards you. This was always going to be a piece that wasn’t crammed full of references instead using the intensity of the forest and scenery to draw you in. There are subtle details that stop you in your tracks and changes things completely, again showing how darkness can reside in such close proximity to the light. Key characters feature within the piece, some more blatant than others but a powerful addition to my work as they make strong eye contact with you which I love. The longer you study this piece you will hopefully see the relevance to the title and apt saying that ‘Not all those who wander are lost’, a classic example of how my work can take on a new dimension from a secondary, more personal narrative that is woven into the concept. I will leave it to you to interpret what you see how you wish.
