Sophia 2006

Here's Richard Hambleton’s ‘Sophia’, made with paint on canvas. There's a dreamy quality to the muted greens and whites, like a memory fading at the edges, shifting and emerging as it comes into being. I imagine Hambleton lost in the process, each brushstroke a question asked and answered, then asked again. What was he thinking? Maybe he wanted to capture something fleeting, like the way light hits water, or how a face changes in the blink of an eye. The paint is thin, almost translucent, allowing the canvas to breathe through. See how a horizontal line divides the canvas in two? It gives the impression of a reflection, or a mirage. Hambleton had a pretty singular take on painting. He’s not just showing us an image, he’s inviting us into his headspace, into his process. And that's what painting is all about, right? An ongoing exchange of ideas across time, inspiring creativity. It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations.