Sardines Berry Red by Alice Straker Henri Rousseau the fine linework and balanced

the fine linework and balanced tonal range of this piece translate with exceptional sharpness onto matte fine art paper

building a composition that is playful and poetic in equal measure

Where the first plate tends toward dense clustering

and graphic confidence

while the stripped-back composition keeps the focus squarely on drama and place

Sardines Berry Red by Alice Straker Henri Rousseau the fine linework and balancedSardines Berry Red swaps the warm orange ground for a deep, saturated berry tone that shifts the whole mood of the image richer, more dramatic, closer to dusk than afternoon. Alice Straker arranges the sardines with the same casual confidence found in her wider work, but the cooler undertone of the background gives the silver fish an almost jewel like quality against the dark field. It is the same subject seen through a different emotional register.