Night Sky Series
Night Crystal is one of a series of works that I am currently exploring based on night skies over Dunwich. Through the random use of collaged papers and fabrics, grit, acrylic and the translucent quality of ink washes I hope to express depth and mystery. Ensuring all the different elements are balanced while keeping the image fresh is always a challenge and studying the work of Suffolk artist Harry Becker has helped a lot. Patrick Heron's work has also been a key influence.
Night Crystal mixed media 50.5 x 40cm
Moonscape, Dunwich is a painting that I have worked on for years. It has never resolved itself fully but it has led me to new ideas. Studying the works of others artists has helped me to move on, especially Patrick Heron's Black Painting Emerald Disc that I saw at Tate St Ives, and also at the Turner Contemporary in Margate - a totally stunning painting by a true master!
Moonscape, Dunwich mixed media on canvas 60 x 54cm
Patrick Heron Black Painting Emerald Disc oil on canvas 1959
Dr Robert Gendler RPS Scientific Imaging Award
The galactic centre, 50 frame mosaic, Western Australia 2014
A true colour image of our galaxy featuring glowing hydrogen clouds, star-forming regions, and thick lanes of dust - the enormity of it all is difficult to grasp.
It is now 30 years since the Hubble Space Telescope was launched -a wonderful documentary celebrating this definitely inspired some of my ideas for the Sketchbook project www.brooklynartlibrary.com and which I titled A Sky Full of Diamonds
Dreambird Series
I have been in awe of George Braque's graceful and elegant birds for years - especially his large canvases of a bird gliding through his studio at night transforming it into a wonderland of mysterious shapes and patterns - I love the picture of him in his studio surrounded by so many of his fabulous creations.
Georges Braque 'Studio V' 1949-50 oil on canvas 147x176cm
MOMA collection
Anna Badar 'Dreambird 11 2016 collagraph print on paper 24x34cm
private collection
William Congdon 'Guatemala No 7' 1957
('Dying Vulture' ) oil on panel Kettles Yard collection
Anna Badar 'Dunwich Dreaming' 2018 oil on wood
35x26cm (after William Congdon)
Seeing William Congdon's oil paintings at Kettles Yard in Cambridge was a revelation - vigorously worked with palette knife and oils- loosely scratched and sgraffitoed into the wet oils to reveal richly textured and darkly haunting images - his 'Guatemala No 7' can be found behind the door of the small ground floor bathroom - this is an utterly wonderful house filled with treasures and is part of the University of Cambridge -this painting is definitely not to be missed!