Sir Alan Sugar Office Painted Canvas
ArtworkKensington Gilders were commissioned by Sir Alan Sugar to paint a Rothko style large canvas to be situated in the reception area of his new office building in Loughton Essex. The brief was to create a colourful, warm and welcoming artwork that would set the tone for visitors arriving at the building: something bold and confident, in keeping with the personality of the client and the corporate environment.
Mark Rothko's signature style, with large fields of colour, soft blurred edges and forms hovering on the canvas in a way that seems to pulse with energy, is deceptively difficult to replicate. The apparent simplicity of a Rothko painting conceals a sophisticated understanding of colour relationships, layering and surface texture. Our artist studied Rothko's technique in depth, examining how he built up thin washes of paint to create luminous, breathing colour fields that have a depth you simply cannot achieve by applying a single flat coat.
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The canvas for this commission was of substantial size, intended to dominate the reception wall and create an immediate visual impact. We stretched and primed the canvas in our workshop, applying multiple coats of gesso and sanding between each coat to achieve a perfectly smooth surface. The painting was then built up over several days, with thin layers of acrylic and oil paint applied in successive glazes. Each layer had to dry before the next was added, and the soft transitions between colour areas were achieved by feathering and blending while the paint was still workable.
The colour palette was chosen in consultation with Sir Alan's office designers: warm reds, deep oranges and a grounding band of darker tone at the base, creating the sense of warmth and energy that the brief required. The finished canvas was delivered to Loughton and installed in the reception area, where its scale and colour give visitors an immediate sense of arrival.
This type of commission is a good example of the breadth of work that Kensington Gilders undertake. Our skills extend well beyond gilding into fine art, decorative painting and bespoke artwork for both commercial and residential clients.
