It seems both yesterday and a long time ago that I spent 3 weeks painting en plein air (outdoors), in the MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs.
One of my hopes in painting the desert was to connect with nature, to explore my relationship with the centre of this ancient land.
Like many desert pilgrims before me, the unfamiliar environment of the desert brought me face-to-face with my vulnerability. The ancient landforms and spaciousness of the place confronted me with my own fragility, the limits of my capacity and ultimately, my finiteness. I encountered silence and space, the gentle, faithful companionship of the earth, the creatures, and trees.
Painting en plein air there seemed an imperative, a deeply personal journey, a pilgrimage of the soul. The works I made pay homage to nature’s knowing, abiding spirit and human experiences of struggle, endurance and hope in that environment.
I invite you now to come and view them at Stella Downer Fine Art in Sydney, and as you experience them, to connect deeply with the landscape, your self and our shared humanity.
Virginia Spate argues that “Paint – an inert material – somehow creates in one the sense of being intensely alive, and of being part of the aliveness of the world”, and so my hope is that by a mysterious alchemy, these paintings carry within their brush marks, colour and form, the power to connect you with the heartbeat of the desert.
The exhibition runs from 19 November to 21 December, and the gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, Tues - Fri 10 am - 5 pm, Sat 11 am - 5 pm.
I’m honoured that Ian Grant, a highly regarded landscape artist and dear friend, will facilitate the artist’s talk and officially open the exhibition at 3 - 5 pm on Saturday 23 November.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
