The Open Door (Alice In Wonderland) - Large Limited Edition
£745.00
- ‘The Open Door’ is my interpretation of the adventures of Alice in her wonderland. It’s driven by mental health. I will always do my research into each subject and that is what resonated with me with the links to the mental health side to the original story. The insecurities that Alice faced, being scared of adults etc. That was the driving force behind this piece. Everyone is touched by mental health in so many different ways and with so many different outcomes and contributing factors.
For me what is so interesting is what do you see when you stand there looking into that scene? Do you see an enchanted forest with the light trying to push through the fog or are you actually under water? Are they reeds and weeds with the jelly fish etc.? What I’ve done is try to trick you because I didn’t just want this to become a ‘Tim Burton’ type piece, there are parallels to my work and that’s why I love his films. The Jelly fish are there instead of toadstools, you can see the similarities with their shape but for me it was the idea of them swaying, with everything moving. That’s the idea when you’re in that state of mind and things are so intense and almost giddy, everything starts to sway, it becomes too much, a bit surreal. Or you can just look at it like you’re off your head! How do you interpret it?
Everything is littered out around you, the pressures that you face that will help you fall down. Like the drink, the oversized macaroon, they’re all symbolic. The mirror links to my ‘Snow White’ piece from this collection. It’s what you see looking back at you. ‘You’re too small’, ‘I’m too big’, ‘I’m mad’. It’s these things that you’re either told or tell yourself. Another link with that piece is that my concept with the ‘Queen of Hearts’ is actually Alice, that it’s a split personality. It’s her darkness that is trying to push her back down that rabbit hole and keep her there. It’s just me trying to put my take on it.
The door being central is key, the door to reality. It just shows how close that is to wherever you are and however far down you are. It’s how easy it is to fall back down. Amongst all of the darkness there is this lovely detail like the butterflies that I use so much to represent being free that are coming out from the shadows and rising up. There is so much to seek out and interpret, what does this picture mean to you?
I’ve loved creating this piece, it’s the widest scene that I’ve done and that’s for a reason. If you imagine when you are stood there, as I put you in the position of every ‘Storyteller’ piece, it’s how much you can take in that is in your line of vision. The key message is no matter how far down you are, how far gone you think you are; this sense of hope and help is always there, and nothing is ever truly impassable.
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- Released: 2021
- Collection: Storyteller
- Edition Size: 10 + 2AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 50” x 24"
- Framed Size (Approx): 61.5” x 35"
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- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
Commissions
When workload allows Mark embraces client commissions and has enjoyed amazing success to date. If you have been inspired by the work that you have seen and have a specific idea or simply a seed then please do get in touch.
Commission EnquiriesRelated Items
A Minute Past Midnight (Cinderella) - Limited Edition
- Captured in mid transition, Cinderellas Pumpkin coach has come to rest on the cobblestones under the glow of the Italian night sky. This piece is a concept of time, embracing the reality of how quickly things can change. Rags to riches and right back again. Fools gold?
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- Released: 2016
- Collection: Storyteller
- Edition Size: 25 + 1AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 21.5” x 16.5"
- Framed Size: 29.5” x 25"
Cast Off Your Shackles (Mary Poppins) - Canvas Limited Edition
£1,295.00
- With this piece I wanted to focus on creating emotion and feeling within the scene rather than a deep concept. The horse that takes centre stage shows so much emotion and is deep in thought, majestic almost. My aim is to first see the beautiful horse in its’ surroundings and then notice the pole, painted saddle and the cracked skin to reveal signs of a darker past. Now that the horse has broken free it has cast off the shackles of yesterday and embracing the freedom that comes from that.
This is mirrored by the suggested relationship between Mary and Bert which shows a number of references to this and how they have brought what was once hidden into the open for all to see! Objects within the grass that typically shock are made to look beautiful as this is how the two love birds see what they have between each other.
What I have created is a scene based on the original narrative that is set in parkland on a beautiful English Summers’ day with the dome of St Pauls showing over the treetops. A racecourse extends across the composition with riders and horses thundering by. Light as always plays a key role here creating warmth and calm whilst the brighter areas are there to represent hope.
Butterflies flutter around the pole moving upwards, the style of these has been done in a way that relates to the flat colours of those used in the film as contrast to the background. Dandelions fill the grass to enhance the lightness and delicateness of the piece, there are tiny seed details where they are floating upwards. In the background there is Mary Poppins’ carpet bag and the white umbrella that she held within the park / fair scene with subtle hints of magical detail surrounding it. Birds are a key part of the film and I have includes two within the softened background, as well as Berts’ blue bow-tie that rests against Mary’s bag. Nestled within the grass is the signature Matryoshka doll that references my first published collection.
Key characters from the story stand within the long grass, a disgruntled turtle and some penguins, of course! I deliberately left until last as it was a case of how on earth do you introduce such characters into such a beautiful scene without it looking random and stark. So what I have done is create a connection between one of the penguins and the horse where they are fixed on each other. There is subtle dream-like lighting detail and icons that are radiating off the penguin leading upwards to the horse, it creates something really wonderful and more importantly a talking point as to what is going on and why there is such a lovely affiliation.
For me it epitomises what I am conveying through this image, beauty, intrigue, freedom, hope and subtle randomness. The two central penguins are deep in conversation, possibly gossiping about their love-struck friend!
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- Released: 2021
- Collection: Storyteller
- Edition Size: 5 + 1AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 36” x 27"
- Framed Size (Approx): 43 x 34"
-
- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.
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Cast Off Your Shackles (Mary Poppins) - Standard Limited Edition
£415.00
- With this piece I wanted to focus on creating emotion and feeling within the scene rather than a deep concept. The horse that takes centre stage shows so much emotion and is deep in thought, majestic almost. My aim is to first see the beautiful horse in its’ surroundings and then notice the pole, painted saddle and the cracked skin to reveal signs of a darker past. Now that the horse has broken free it has cast off the shackles of yesterday and embracing the freedom that comes from that.
This is mirrored by the suggested relationship between Mary and Bert which shows a number of references to this and how they have brought what was once hidden into the open for all to see! Objects within the grass that typically shock are made to look beautiful as this is how the two love birds see what they have between each other.
What I have created is a scene based on the original narrative that is set in parkland on a beautiful English Summers’ day with the dome of St Pauls showing over the treetops. A racecourse extends across the composition with riders and horses thundering by. Light as always plays a key role here creating warmth and calm whilst the brighter areas are there to represent hope.
Butterflies flutter around the pole moving upwards, the style of these has been done in a way that relates to the flat colours of those used in the film as contrast to the background. Dandelions fill the grass to enhance the lightness and delicateness of the piece, there are tiny seed details where they are floating upwards. In the background there is Mary Poppins’ carpet bag and the white umbrella that she held within the park / fair scene with subtle hints of magical detail surrounding it. Birds are a key part of the film and I have includes two within the softened background, as well as Berts’ blue bow-tie that rests against Mary’s bag. Nestled within the grass is the signature Matryoshka doll that references my first published collection.
Key characters from the story stand within the long grass, a disgruntled turtle and some penguins, of course! I deliberately left until last as it was a case of how on earth do you introduce such characters into such a beautiful scene without it looking random and stark. So what I have done is create a connection between one of the penguins and the horse where they are fixed on each other. There is subtle dream-like lighting detail and icons that are radiating off the penguin leading upwards to the horse, it creates something really wonderful and more importantly a talking point as to what is going on and why there is such a lovely affiliation.
For me it epitomises what I am conveying through this image, beauty, intrigue, freedom, hope and subtle randomness. The two central penguins are deep in conversation, possibly gossiping about their love-struck friend!
-
- Released: 2021
- Collection: Storyteller
- Edition Size: 25 + 5AP
- Specification: Limited edition fine art print, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 25” x 18.5"
- Framed Size (Approx): 32” x 26"
-
- Get in touch for overseas delivery
- Please allow approximately 14 days for delivery, should you need delivery sooner please let us know.