Adele M. Reed reviews the recent exhibition Robert Holyhead at Peer Gallery, London.

Reed writes: "Running across the first three walls are three rows of small 'drawings' set out in a grid-like narrative reflecting the stream of creative consiousness that Holyhead travels through before starting work on each final major piece. They present less a particular subject or story than a mood or reaction to shapes, colour and line. . Although appearing hastily made each sketch, 21.1 x 15.2 cm in size, felt extremely organic and simple, a method reflecting the fascinating beauty of the natural world… The same washed-out watercolour style is imitated in the oils, an alternative which seems far less straight-forward but distinctly more important. The paintings look best close-up, when the eye can pluck out every single brush-stroke and thumb smear made by extracting paint from the canvas; on some paintings I could make out the soft lines of a finger-nail engraved into the surface as part of the application or de-application of paint."