ABOUT & BIO
"Art is a beautiful and universal form of communication and expression and I combine unique form and bold styles through works of art reflecting my energy, spirit and vibe."
In his work British artist Carl Hodges engages and nurtures the mechanics of art to express human and spiritual aspects of life. The use of bold colours, even straight from the tube, emblazon the canvas surface, standing out amongst the crowd and bringing a strong energy and vibe to any piece. Carl loves architecture, expressed through his acrylics and pallet knives/brush work, sometimes focusing in particular Stoke-on-Trent's bottle kiln factory skylines. Over the years Carl has developed his own painting style, a collision of delicate layered knife work producing unique patterns of light and shadow.
At a deeper level, more spiritual, Carl feels our thoughts and feelings are all producing and generating energy that we can use to enhance our lives. This can be though meditation, channelling into a greater awareness and not just being aware through consciousness, Carl engages his own energy, at different frequencies to create real acrylic works, exposing this secretive, perhaps forgotten energy state of mind and body in beautiful art forms.
More recently and merging into a new realm of creative freedom, tapping into that universal energy, an explosion of colour and energy is formed in Carl's work using layering techniques, forced drying and fluid acrylics. This style has progressed more recently into producing stunning sky images merging into landscapes of his home town of Stoke-on-Trent as well as pre energy works.
Carl exhibits using solo exhibitions.
He lives in Staffordshire with his beautiful wife Jayne.
CURRENT WORK
"At the moment I am working on local landscapes developing my technique using palette knives with acrylic layering on many subjects including bottle oven kilns used in the the old pottery/ceramics industry. I like the method of applying different layers with heavy and light paints and also the challenge of applying multiple colours on one knife during application. This requires a careful manipulation over time with the added dynamics of working over not just dry but also other wet layers to achieve the desired effect. This technique is now becoming a style and something I want to further develop and also expand to other more abstract paintings. The results are very rewarding and this particular painting style where industrial architecture decay into Earth's sky colours - so their original structural and form is eventually lost in time in one piece."
ART CREATIVITY
Before any physical preparing of canvases, mixing paints or conceptualisation sketching my approach is best summed up by Pablo Picasso:
"Everything you can
imagine is real"
The imagination requires freedom. A freedom to capture thoughts, emotions, experiences and energy that are all so important to form into creative reality - for me this is in traditional painting and digital creations.
Past and current memories from all the senses can be used to spark creative ideas and as they begin to seed in the mind a short period of meditation allows further development to form my art.
ART PROCESS
Before any painting begins the general approach I adopt is personal to me and maybe not for be for everyone. The approach has been crafted from years of trail and error, trying many different styles of painting.
I can't paint one piece at a time - as mood plays a very important part of the painting process.
Right mood
Right results
This is why I normally have three or more - even ten different pieces on the go at any one time. If I need to express energetic spontaneity with quick mind and physical movements then focusing on an abstract piece is perfect with a bit of music playing in the background. If the mood is more thoughtful and placid then classical or meditative sound is suitable.
Simple really. I regularly perform and apply my own meditation techniques developed since I was 17 that allows universal freedom of energy to help form my works of art both before and during application.
“I dream my painting and I paint my dream.”
― Vincent Willem van Gogh