Drinking Girl
42 x 60cm, oil on board
Drinking Girl uses the careful control of negative space to lend emotional presence to the figure. The positioning of the figure within the far right third of the picture achieves a balance which is vital in order to create the desired contemplative atmosphere. This is reinforced by the graceful ‘L’ shape formed by the figure. The red chair cutting into the composition just to the right of the centre achieves the necessary degree of tension and focus to anchor the overall composition. There is a deliberate avoidance of reference to what the glass contains in both the painting and in its title.
