the pleasure, passion,power and panache of painting

“the pleasure, the passion, the power and the panache of painting”
7
©Colin Halliday
“These works were surely created in a studio
and could not possibly have created made plein air...”
The train rolled into Derby where Colin had kindly said he would pick me up and take me to his home a few miles
to the south of the City. I’d been to Derby in the early part of 2017 on a family celebration and was surprised how
quickly the regeneration and investment program for the North of England had progressed [that far] from the major
‘Northern Cities’ of the UK (sic: Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Newcastle etc).
As usual the old dilapidated buildings were being knocked down and new 21st century spaces were being created
with emphasis on culture and commerce in the centre of Derby, an observation that I would be remember during
my conversation with Colin later in the day.
The walls of his home were, as you may expect for a painter, graced by his own large oil paintings, which showed
the full glory of his process. These works of nature were painted with an impasto application holding the energy of
a sure hand and full of painterly confidence.
“These works were surely created in a studio could not possibly have been made plein air.” [For which Colin is
renown for], I thought to myself. He told me later that he did indeed have a studio, but had to give it up when he
landlord wanted to double the rent, which he couldn’t afford, certainly not along with his financial obligations for
his home. My only complaint about the work on the wall was that I wished I could have viewed them in a larger
space, if only to fully appreciate their beauty. However, being able to get up close to them confirmed my belief that
Colin was indeed an excellent and an accomplished painter.
His method is not revolutionary, nor does he employ textural tricks by using texture aides or other contingencies.
Such as applying plaster of paris on the canvas before painting over in oil or acrylic pigments.