r e s o n a n c e
Works of celebration and lament for our fragile landscape.
Clifton School of Arts 4-13 November 2022
Strangely shadowy yet light (in celebration of the Illawarra Flame). 2022. Oil on linen. Triptych. 230x102cm - SOLD
Fire, fire burning bright (after Mallacoota). 2022. Oil on linen. 90x104cm - SOLD I had been sitting with the image of the 2019 fire storm over Mallacoota in my head for a couple of years before making Fire, fire burning bright (after Mallacoota). I have tried to convey the heat, the smoke, the terror, confusion and power of this fire. The tension for me with this subject is that often I witness bushfires and find the drama of their colour and movement both compelling and terrifying. I paint it, to get up close and dare it to burn me.
Dying fire. 2022. Oil on linen. 62x62cm - SOLD
Long night of fire. 2022. Oil on linen. 62x62cm - SOLD
Fire and dust. 2022. Oil on linen. 91x91cm - $2,000 framed - SOLD
Creek at sunset. 2022. Oil on linen. 62x62cm - $800 - SOLD
DETAIL. Strangely shadowy yet light (in celebration of the Illawarra Flame tree. 2022. Oil on linen.
DETAIL. Strangely shadowy yet light (in celebration of the Illawarra Flame tree) 2022. Oil on linen.
DETAIL. Violet gloaming (I carry with me the memory of a distant land). Oil on linen. 2022
Landslide on fire ground. 2022. Oil on linen. 62x62cm - SOLD ______________________________________________________________________________________ I painted Rockfall on fire ground as a response to seeing the shocking degradation caused by the bushfires on the South Coast. Trees that once stood tall and proud were reduced to black, brittle shards. The shrubs and ground cover scorched into the cooked earth. Then came the rains and the power of the flooding creeks that moved unabated in torrents across this denuded landscape – one injury after another. I paint these pictures not to preach but to speak to the viewers emotional body. I try to articulate the visceral feelings we can have when we are faced with the reality of extreme damage to the landscape
Violet Gloaming (I carry with me the shadow of another land). 2022. Oil on linen. Triptych. 198x102cm
FROM TOP - After the rain I. 2021. After the rain II. 2021. Burnt out. 2021. Oil on marine ply. Each work 62x27cm - $750 each
Tempest of dust II. 2022. Oil on linen. 96x96cm - $2,000 framed - SOLD ________________________________________________________________________________ Tempest of dust II comes from my memory of an early evening when we were driving through the Strzelecki Desert. There was a cloud of dust which gave the setting sun a particularly beautiful intensity. I wasn’t sure what caused the dust. It could have been the dust wake of a road train or a gust of wind that lifted the sand up to the heavens. It created a ghost like spectacle I’ll never forget.
The Gloaming (holding still as we drive fast). 2021. Oil on linen. Diptych. 152x102cm - $2,800
Tempest of dust I. 2022. Oil on linen. 96x96cm - $3,000 framed ________________________________________________________________________________ Tempest of Dust I responds to an approaching desert dust storm I witnessed when camping in Central Australia. I was initially captivated by the spectre of this cloud of red dust rolling in until I realised it was actually a cloud composed of precious topsoil. My work aims to draw attention to the perils of extreme weather without being didactic and comes entirely from my mind’s eye. I do not attempt to re-create exact scenarios but build the image by rendering feelings, light and colour sensations I recall of the subject. The intention is for my paintings to be visceral, speaking to the viewer’s emotional body.
The sea is red (after the deluge). 2022. Oil on linen. 152X102cm - $3,000 unframed __________________________________________________________________________________ The Sea is Red (after the deluge) responds to the aftermath of recent unprecedented rainfall which resulted in an erosion event in Wombarra. Caused by an inappropriate land development. A deluge of water and topsoil discharged into the sea below turning it mud red, exposing stark evidence of the perils of extreme climate for sea life.
The gloaming over sea. 2022 Oil on linen 76x102cm $1,000 - SOLD
Flood dominion. 2022. Mixed media on paper . 77x113cm - SOLD ________________________________________________________________________________ the lake that wasn’t there before before the rain before wipe out creeks and rivers berserk thrusting detritus from grounds beyond before the flood there was green a verdant hue of olive and jade the boundary of a field a shaded nook the certainty of a meadow, a paddock, a lane now there is a lake that shouldn’t be a soundless sinking vessel of mud and losses holding waters heavy and full of flooding rain that drowns and turns the green to grey that lies in wait to seep to suck to reveal what was
Detail. Wood in water II. 2020 Watercolour & charcoal on paper 56x73 - SOLD
Wood in water 2020 Watercolour & charcoal on paper 57x46 - SOLD
Rain on the escarpment. 2020. Mixed media on paper and architectural film. 85x110cm - $500 unframed ________________________________________________________________________________ Rain on the escarpment is one of many drawings Ove made which speak to the ever changing weather and light on Wombarra’s imposing escarpment and the ocean. I was struck on this particular day by the exquisite effect of the intermittent light, pushing through the rain and mist, transforming the cliffs into wet, shimmering shrouds. With this drawing my approach was to ‘build’ the work to achieve a sense of mystery. The initial marks and coloured areas were made on paper which were then diffused by layering a semi-transparent film over the top. This film provided a very smooth and forgiving surface allowing for my rapid mark making, rubbing and smudging using charcoal and conte crayon. My drawings are very physical in their making, reflecting the energy and power of my subject.
Fire tree 2022 Mixed media on paper 77x113cm - $500 unframed
Rain tree 2022 Mixed media on paper 77x113cm - SOLD
TOP - There's smoke up there. 2021 Oil on linen 42x32cm - $800 framed BOTTOM - Wet creek. 2021 Oil on linen 42x32 - $800 framed
The gloaming over flood plain 2022 Oil on linen 41x30cm. $550 - SOLD
Electric storm over sea 2022 Oil on linen 45x34cm - $650 framed
Black clouds. 2020. Mixed media on paper. 53x43cm - SOLD
Up to the escarpment. 2020. Mixed media on paper. 53x43cm - SOLD
Wood in water I. 2020 Watercolour & charcoal on paper 56x73 - $800 framed