Friday, May 5, 2023

Max Naylor’s Ethereal Landscapes in Ink and Oil Paint Defy Nature’s Rules

An otherworldly colored landscape with foliage and a lake

“Narcissus” (2023), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters. All images © Max Naylor, shared with permission

Working in vivid washes of ink and oil paint, artist Max Naylor renders impressionistic dreamscapes that emerge from nostalgic recollections and imagined spaces. Focusing on natural textures like gilled mushrooms scaling a tree trunk  or the soft ripples of water, Naylor creates what he calls a “parallel universe, a microcosm that is similar to our world but free from the shackles of reality.” The scenes often veer toward the unnatural, favoring otherworldly color palettes and unlikely lighting. “In these spaces, it can be night and day simultaneously,” he says. “You can stare up at the sky whilst noticing the plants flowering at your feet.”

The ethereal qualities of Naylor’s works echo his process, which involves letting the fluid materials dictate the contours of the compositions and allowing the landscapes to “well up from my subconscious and spill onto the surface…The works in ink are made quickly. At the same time, I’m working on larger oil paintings that take much longer. Working at these different tempos keeps things fresh and exciting for me, with the works in ink continually informing the works in oil.”

Based in Bristol, Naylor has a studio at Spike Island and currently teaches at London’s Royal Drawing School. You can find more of his landscapes on Instagram.

 

An otherworldly colored landscape with foliage and a lake

“Green Goddess” (2023), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters

An otherworldly colored landscape with foliage and a mountain

“Devil’s Cauldron” (2023), oil on linen, 115 x 105 centimeters

An otherworldly colored landscape with foliage and a mountain

“Mountainside” (2022), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters

An otherworldly colored landscape with crashing waves and a mountain

“Phosphorescence” (2022), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters

An otherworldly colored landscape with foliage and a lake

“Catkins and Crocuses” (2023), ink on paper, 51 x 66 centimeters

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Max Naylor’s Ethereal Landscapes in Ink and Oil Paint Defy Nature’s Rules appeared first on Colossal.



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