"Two Bottles and a Journal"

This exploration into "still-life" was partly influenced by Robert Rauschenberg's abstract works which I first viewed in 1964 at the Tate Gallery (Painting & Sculpture of a Decade 54 - 64) and much later when I used the set of Illy collectors coffee 'World Cups' for which he created the artwork. I liked his approach which was summed-up in one tome by, "He uses without sentimentality, anything and everything to hand."

Although not taking that approach too far, this piece went through several stages of overpainting, scraping, scratching and reapplying acrylics mainly with spatulas until the design and effect I desired was achieved.