I really enjoy making tiny artworks…it’s a good technical exercise, to capture all the information necessary with minimum of marks. The first little painting is of my three children at the beach at sundown. They did not want to go home! I loved the red hues of the light and the corresponding inky blues in the shadows. The second is of the same scene on a different evening; a much moodier light. Oil on bamboo, 20.5cm x 15cm
New learnings
Responding to a brief to paint an ‘Australian landscape’ I started with a scene of my son playing with a collie dog beside the river, beneath gumtrees. It was idyllic, calm, and uncomfortably reminiscent of early colonial art. Despite the river gums I realised that unconsciously I had brought an English sensibility to my rendition of the scene. It was one-sided, without substance, all ‘surface’.
It’s a big task to try to depict the complexities and beauty of this land. I felt I couldn’t adequately attempt this without somehow acknowledging our history and the people who have had such an impact upon it, both good and bad. I needed to paint below the surface, to express more about our bloody and unresolved history and ongoing troubles. It is a stunningly beautiful country but the many peoples who live in and love this land are still travelling uneasy parallel paths with no real resolution to the past.
Thoughts on colour
This is a new oil painting of a child running on the beach at dusk. I was drawn to paint this image because of the dramatic light and contrast between the shadowy beach and the brilliant sunset sky. The child running in the gathering dark interests me…..I’ve left the child’s emotions deliberately ambiguous. You decide what’s happening here.
2019 - Thought for the New Year
“It’s impossible” said pride
“It’s risky” said experience
“It’s pointless” said reason
“Give it a try” whispered the heart
Unknown author