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“Buderim Forest”
(Synthetic Polymer)
90x90cm
ABOUT THIS PAINTING:
This painting evolved out of the
videoing of a short documentary on my art. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ2MzRmoKBA
.
Much of my art addresses abstract
subjects like the destruction of the natural environment in this century. In
this painting I demonstrate the creative process of abstracting my work.
The area of the rainforest I was
painting was the inner core of Buderim Forest where last year stood a dense natural
forest of palms. It is no longer there
because not long after this painting was finished, this area was burnt by
vandals. At present it is a barren space
in the heart of Buderim Forest. It will
regenerate but it will take time.
This painting alludes to the life
force that mysteriously speaks of the hidden secrets of the natural world - things
that should be treasured, nurtured and preserved but are presently in danger of
being destroyed.
Artistic techniques used in the
painting:
As you can
see from the video, I started the painting by pouring paint onto the canvas. I was demonstrating just how random the
beginning of a painting can be. I used a
restricted pallet of colours. I selected
them to appeal to the feeling of wellbeing which a rainforest exudes.
I used house
paints because I was flagrantly demonstrating not to be too precious about art
making. The selection of colours was Hot
Pink, Purple, Warm Yellow, Cerulean Blue and Lime Green. I do not usually use house paints but will do
so on occasion to stimulate my creativity.
It is well known that many major Australian artists have also used house
paint and enamel paints in their paintings... Sidney Nolan and Ian Fairweather,
to name a couple.
I used a
roller to apply the paint. Also I spread
paper over the wet paint and randomly stamped the imprint back onto the
canvas. I also allowed the paint to run.
You can see where the lines appeared that magiced a third dimension out of the
two dimensional canvas. Gradually trees
appeared on the flat surface.
My intention in
doing this was to show how this random application of paint generates excitement
and stimulates the creative process. Those
who have been following my blog posts know that this is not the way I usually
work. In this painting I used this approach
to demonstrate for the video, the way creative order can evolve out of random
chaos.
Vertical
lines dominate the painting. They speak
of the vertical thrust of the tall tropical rainforest trees. I wanted to portray a feeling of being
enveloped and nurtured by nature - a feeling that one feels when walking
through Buderim Forest.
Although
green is the dominant colour in any forest, Buderim Forest it is not a cold
harsh environment, but rather gentle and embracing, therefore I worked warm colours
into the composition to capture peace and tranquility.
The creative
process when in full flow, takes on a life of its own, and this painting was no
exception. The flat planes of colour
which are my signature style, took on a more fragmented appearance due to the
dappled light breaking through the trees.
The painting
speaks of the serenity and tranquillity of the rainforest and the
interdependence of everything that lives there.
This is true for us humans also, because we too are dependent on the
Earth for our existence
