From cream and peach to cocoa and rich dark browns via coral and tan, these paintings all carry a depth of colour, warm notes that recall skin tones. The principles of Feng Shui have guided the selection of these works, chosen in the belief that skin tones in the bedroom are both restorative and nourishing, providing positive and soothing energy.
Sometimes, this may come from depictions of the body and literal skin tones, such as in the case of Julia Blackshaw’s evasive portraits. Elsewhere, we might look to the browns in the ground of Mark Bletcher’s busy and engaging images or the layered olives in Jan Valik’s abstract work. Such underpainting, or imprimatura, has a long history in painting. We know for instance, that Michelangelo often opted for greenish grounds to bring out the flesh tints in his images. In the case of Bletcher and Valik, this colouring adds richness and comfort to the work, qualities that make them at home in this curated section. More generally, amongst the works chosen, there is no singular approach to painting, but all embrace bodily colours and a sense of calm: they help us to see, to think, to relax.