“The Fractured Earth” #7
Rockscape Series
Watercolour, Ink and Silver Ink on
handmade paper
83x98cm (framed)
ABOUT THIS PAINTING and the artistic techniques
used in this painting:
I believe the process of painting is a
bit like the process of living. We do
not have a say in who our parents are.
Nor do we have any say in the country into which we are born. The era in which we live also is out of our
control. We do however have control over
the way we respond to the circumstances of our life. Therefore when I paint I often do not take
too much effort in controlling the subject matter. So when I took the photos that became the
basis for my rockscape series, I aimed the camera at interesting rock
formations, with little thought to the composition of the picture. This is the photo I used for this painting.
When I selected the ten photos from
the 60 or more photographs I took, again I was looking for unusual rock
formations. I believe that if one is given
a subject that stimulates, then one should be able to accomplish a well
balanced and pleasing painting. It is
the process of painting (like the process of living) that interests me as much
as the finished product. I believe that
given my painting experience I should be able to create a beautiful picture using
whatever means as are available to me. A
bit like creating order out of chaos.
I have discussed the concept behind
this Rockscape Series in Posts Nos. 9, 67, 69, 72 and 78, so dear reader, go to
these if you are interested. However in
the past I have not discussed the process involved in any particular one of
this series. I will do this here.
The photo image was faithfully
reproduced in watercolour paints and inks.
When I had completed this I felt that the composition was not
balanced. I therefore used a device
(seen as a ghost net) to balance the painting.
A ghost net is a discarded fishing net which is a major polluter of our
oceans. It floats in the tides and
drowns all marine life that gets caught in it.
Some of these nets are miles long. So in this painting I used the net as
a visual device to balance my composition.
It also fitted well with the concept behind the series which is concerned
with the degradation of the natural environment – particularly the oceans and
their coastal regions.
Nets are very difficult to draw
because our eye tends to know if the net is not correct. I obtained some old netting from of the
fisheries at Mooloolaba. I had a few
attempts before I was satisfied with the end result. This was then inked in with a bamboo pen. The sea shells also were drawn with inks. The
fish image is a collage made from silver ink on transparent plastic and fixed within
the ghost net. The dead fish is to remind
the viewer of the destructive nature of these discarded nets and their toll on marine
life.
I always find it a challenge to create
a pleasing picture from something which poses a technical problem. It is the sense of accomplishment that is at
the base of creativity. What do you
think? I would welcome your comments.
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