Friday, January 11, 2013

UNDERSTANDING ABSTRACT ART #59





“Boardwalk – Maroochy Wetlands” 
(Acrylic) 
Size: 51x76 cm

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

This painting was inspired by a walk along the boardwalk through the Maroochy Wetlands at Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast.  It alludes to the life force and the inner core of the wetlands where the mysteries of time are concealed.  It brings into focus things that should be treasured and preserved.
Artistic techniques used in the painting:

Abstract art is a wonderful vehicle for expressing the subjective feelings of the painter which then might be visually and viscerally conveyed to the viewer if they are open and receptive.
These wetlands have been neigh on impregnable to the general population (the public) until recently when the Sunshine Coast Regional Council built a boardwalk through them.  They are ever changing from season to season and particularly from wet to dry.
The painting’s dark background (which is not Black) alludes to the mystery of this private natural space.  The wetlands are in actuality the nursery and birthing areas for numerous wild creatures and if one is sensitive to the surroundings you will get a feeling of this seclusion.

The structure of the boardwalk is depicted on canvas by the horizontal band of orange.  I have given the colour a patina to convey an organic feel to the structure because although the boardwalk is new and well maintained, it is also made of timber and is subject to natural weathering.

There is a biological mystery to all wetlands.  They team with life though the public walking along the boardwalk will be hard pressed to see any of it.  The vertical straight lines of the boardwalk are contrasted by the irregular shapes that pulsate and emerge from the darkness of the background.  These shapes represent the life that resides within this region.
The warm colours against the dark background create drama also represent the life force.  A cooler green is central to the whole composition, adds contrast and balance.  This suggests the watery world of the wetlands.

I hope you can appreciate this painting more after it being explained.  It’s a complex painting about a deceptively complex environment which should be treated with differential respect.

2 comments:

  1. Tami - I love this piece it is so evocative of the wetlands and boardwalk!! Wonderful!!

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    1. Thank you Wyn. Yes I feel that I have captured the mystery of the place. Your residency at the Resort sounds very exciting. Good work! Cheers, Tami.

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