Whenever I approach a new idea or subject, I tend to prepare three substrates, whether that’s card, wood panel or canvas.
There are practical reasons for this. I can work on one while the others are drying, and if I have particular materials out, it makes sense to use them across several pieces rather than pack everything away and start again. But I’ve done it as long as I can remember so I suspect there’s more to it than efficiency.
Three has a long history of sacred and symbolic significance across different cultures and traditions. It appears in sacred geometry, in the threefold patterns found in nature, and in ideas of balance, unity and transformation. I’m interested in this sense of three as something that holds a particular energy or completeness, without needing to attach it to any one belief system, it just ‘feels right’. Does that make sense?
Working in threes seems to be the perfect way for me to explore an idea. Using similar materials, colours and approaches, I allow each piece to develop in its own way, never trying to replicate one across the others. Small changes in the placement of a shape, the direction of a line or the application of a material can alter the feeling and energy of a work. Three offers enough variation to explore an idea without spreading it too thinly. There’s a practical rhythm to it, but also something less tangible that keeps drawing me back. I’m not sure I need to explain that fully; for now, I’m happy to keep exploring it through the work itself.