Sophia 2006

Richard Hambleton made "Sophia" with paint on canvas, and I see it as a study in letting go. The colours are muted, like a half-remembered dream, all hazy greens and ghostly whites. It feels more like an echo of a landscape than a literal depiction. Look closely, and you'll notice how thin and washy the paint is. It’s as if Hambleton was more interested in the act of applying the paint than in creating a perfect image. See how the colours bleed and blend into each other? There’s a real sense of spontaneity there, of working quickly and intuitively. It’s like he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment, a feeling, rather than a specific place. The rough texture of the canvas adds to this sense of immediacy, as if the painting is still in the process of becoming. Hambleton’s work reminds me a little of Turner's late paintings, with their emphasis on atmosphere and light. Both artists seem to be searching for something beyond the visible world, using paint as a way to explore the boundaries of perception. And for both, the journey seems as important as the destination.