Ancient Forest
Acrylic on board, 30 × 41 cm, 2025
This painting shows a horned figure that sits somewhere between mask, animal and forest spirit. The surface is built up using layers of torn newspaper before painting, giving the work a sense of age and a history beneath the image. I am interested in figures that feel as though they come from folklore, half-remembered gods and older legends, and in making paintings that read as small artefacts or fragments from an older story. The worn wooden frame reinforces this sense of the piece as a found or recovered object.
Part of an ongoing studio practice shaped by folk art, storytelling, pattern and decorative traditions.
Thanks for taking a look at this project
You can see more of my work at SteveSimpson.com and follow updates on Instagram
