Inspiration

Today I was interviewed for a new Artists Blog coming to our shores soon. And I was over joyed to contemplate my current and past inspirations. The Murray Darling has been for a long time but in terms of Artists this has changed throughout the years. Here are a few that remain constant.

John Olsen

"Spring"

John not only has a lyrical line that I love, but as I found out over the years a love of The Coorong and many other places along the Murray. The energy within each piece is abundant and the life of Australia's outback seems to bounce from the page.


Brett Whiteley

This is an image I have never seen Brett do, nor did I know he ever painted portraits of birds. 

Mixed media, such a wonderful discovery as now I am working in Inks.

Euan McCloud

The landscape in a whole new texture.

A poem of inspiration from Erin Shiel

Sonnet for Hattah

 

At Hattah, all day by the Murray she sits to paint

where red gums crowd the banks of a stolen river.

She thinks of tomorrow’s canvas as evening shivers.

Colours drain into the ground until the brush is faint.

 

As the river shares its flow between the crops

the red gums wait for floods to float their seeds,

drop branches for snags where Blackfish breed.

She talks with her strokes, painting until night drops.

 

She arches her neck to see the tops of the trees

ribbons of bark peel and merge with her hair.

In her mind the crowns are scraping the sky’s girth

until looking down into the bank of the river she sees

the bony fingers of the gum’s roots are there

not reaching up but clinging to the diminishing earth.

 

After Rachel Carroll, Hattah, 2011.[i]

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[i] Rachel Carroll, Hattah, 2011. See image at http://www.rachelcarroll.com.au/view_artwork.php?fotoid=101

Art with Meaning

I am simply going to quote John McDonald today for his inspiring words in the SMH on Saturday May 5th 2012.Truly Inspiring John Thankyou.

" This state of affairs opens the doors to an enterprising artist who cherishes the idea that art might help change the worldfor the better."

"We have to believe that there is somthingimportant about contemporary art it can't be viewed as mere entertainment."

NEWS April 2011

Exhibition - Manly Regional ART Gallery FRAMEWORKS 2011
On NOW.

The Galapogos,

Emu

Art and Education

I am currently aware of the power of Art to educate , communicate and fight for a course.
Right now I am focusing on the environment, and the education art can provide to tell us about different environments. The Murray Darling River Basin , The Upper Florentine Forest in Tasmania, and locally Cabbage Tree Bay, Manly.
Just as I realise the potential art has to connect through forests and government, I am aware of the possiblities of connecting artists around the globe.
Just as I give voice to the next tree lost or endangered species I am suddenly made aware of the plight of a race, a race of people that are being supressed and locked into their own country. I speak of Tibet. In some ways it seems easier to save a tree, stand in front of it....but how do we save people?