Painting the Colours of Hamnet

Yesterday, I got comfy in my seat at my local cinema in Bedford and let the story of Hamnet wash over (and through) me. Today, I found myself (in a less comfy seat) in my studio, inspired by the imagery, trying to capture that experience with paint.

A Cinematic Inspiration

I read Maggie O’Farrell’s book when it first came out and I adored it, so I was thrilled when I heard it was being adapted for the screen. Before seeing the film, I read an interview in Harper’s Bazaar with the costume designer, Małgosia Turzańska, who spoke so beautifully about the specific colour palette for Agnes and Will.

I was also fascinated by how the director, Chloé Zhao, described the characters through colour and chakras. Will as cool blues - cerebral and of the mind, while Agnes was composed of reds and rusts - grounded in the earth, the root and the sacral chakras. Knowing this changed the way I watched the story unfold; I had my ‘noticing head’ on. (I also had tea, chocolate, and a headache.)

I already knew I would love the film and I guessed that I would want to create a series of paintings about it. So, I paid attention and made mental notes for my impending artwork.

Coexisting Ghosts

I painted these three pieces while the film was still fresh in my mind. I remembered the director talking about circular time - the idea that life and grief are not linear. I can’t find the video to link to here (she may have even been talking about a previous film of hers, or I may have dreamt it), but either way, it struck a chord with me.

I loved this concept of cyclical time: the looping nature of events, the recurring themes, and the rhythm of it all. It made me feel that these paintings should be exactly that; everything existing all at once. The grief, the hope, the illness, and the hidden ghosts are all coexisting within the texture of the painting. My process became an act of layering and uncovering; painting over old ghosts and then scraping back the paint to reveal what lay beneath, or before, or in our memories.

I used earthy rusts to anchor the rural life of the characters, with piercing, bright reds that trickle through the layers like blood through veins. Finally, I introduced deep crimsons, darker tones that hint at the visceral reality of the era: the scabs, the plague, and the raw, aching heart of loss. I even kept some patches of darkness, portals or holes like the one Agnes lies in during the opening scene. To capture the sorrow, I used loose, watery washes, encouraging the paint to drip like a quiet suggestion of tears.

I also use plants from my garden to create marks and stamps, I picked the ones I thought Agnes would like. I even used a rosemary sprig like a quill to create little dots and it worked remarkably well. I think that Will Shakespeare was onto something there.

It was great fun doing this; it’s a first for me to take a film and create something purely abstract from it. Maybe you could have a go? What is your favourite film and how would you go about creating a piece of work as a response to it? Please tell me it's not Porky's II. 

Back In The Globe Theatre: Shakespeare in Love

Hamnet is tipped to do well at the Oscars, and I have a little personal anecdote about another Oscar-winning film about William Shakespeare. During my work experience at university, I actually spent time on the set of Shakespeare in Love at Shepperton Studios. 

I’ll never forget standing in the middle of the Globe Theatre mock-up, surrounded by that incredible craftsmanship. It was so well-built you’d be hard-pressed to know it was a set. My job was as a runner, which essentially means doing whatever you are told! One of my tasks was to mist the floor with water to keep the dust from coming up and spoiling the shot. That film went on to win seven Oscars, including Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. I'm not saying that had anything to do with me being there for a week, but I'm not not saying that either. I was a damn good mister.

Oh, 1998, how I miss thee.

The Hamnet Collection

These three originals are an abstract, emotional response to a powerful and thoughtful piece of storytelling. They are small, intimate windows into a heavy atmosphere.

• Size: 6" x 6" paintings in a 12" mount (easy to slip into a standard album frame).
• Format: Original works, fully mounted and ready to frame.
• Authentication: Signed and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
• Price: £60 each.

Painting 1: What’s Past Is Prologue

Painting 2: Every Vein Doth Fight 

Painting 3: The Grief That Does Not Speak 

p.s. bonus points if you know which of Shakespeare's plays these titles come from.