The Ones that Took a While

Collection One, oil on linen

Collection Two, oil on linen

These paintings particularly the Collection 1 picture presented a few problems in the making.

Mainly due to my inaccurate start as to correct proportions and trying to paint things that really couldn't be seen. I had 2 sessions on Collection 1 and wasn't happy at all with the result of the 2nd session. How come it looked so bad? I took a break from it then went away on a holiday that was planned months away and I didn't like being dragged away from it. I felt sick about it, and stressed too.

When I came back to it six weeks later and took a good look at it and at the set up of the real objects that I was painting from, I knew exactly what to do, without putting anything into words. It was all in my head, the whole lot, it was weird. I happily painted it for the third session and finished it. I couldn't believe it because when I was away, I was thinking I would give up on this one and start a simpler one to go back to basics. 

As a result, I have decided not to scrap the current painting I am working on. Although wishing that I could escape on holiday again, though without the stress, I am learning to trust myself and the process.

A Simple Revolution

One must be willing to stand alone—in the unknown, with no reference to the known or the past or any of one’s conditioning. One must stand where no one has stood before in complete nakedness, innocence, and humility. 

French Jug with Bowls, oil on linen

One must stand in that dark light, in that groundless embrace, unwavering and true to the Reality beyond all self, not just for a moment but forever without end; for then that which is sacred, undivided, and whole is born within consciousness and begins to express itself. 

Still Life with Flowers, oil on linen

That expression is the salvation of the whole. It is the activity of an inward revolution brought down into time and space.

-Adyashanti

Old Bottles, oil on linen

Stillness

“As we begin to meet life as it is rather than as we think it should be, as we let go of our need to control and continuously interpret our experience, we start to open to life in a completely new way. We become deeply grounded in silence.

Jug and Glass Jar, oil on linen

 The nature of this silence is a lack of conflict with life, and the more we open to this state of non conflict, to this state of inner stillness, we begin to fall into the grace of a different dimension of being - a dimension rooted in a deep intimacy with our own lives and with existence itself.”

~ Adyashanti

Blue Jug with Bowls, oil on linen

Small Vase with Plate and Bowl, oil on linen

Three Pots, oil on linen

Still life with Ming Dynasty Vase, oil on linen

Still life with Artichoke, oil on linen

 

Still life, Blue in Grey, oil on linen

The Tonal Paintings

My painting began in 1996 towards the end of a 10 year sojourn in Paris where I had completed my studies in Flute. When I returned home to Sydney I enrolled in several courses in life drawing, oil painting and watercolour painting for a few years. In my first year back from France I met a group of inspiring and full time artists that I became friends with (I will write about them later) and they encouraged me to continue in my painting endeavour and exhibit.

"Yellow Flowers" Oil on Linen

I shared my time between Bundeena where my artist friends lived and where I painted and Sydney where I taught Flute. In 2004 I moved to Melbourne and losing the contact of my inspiring friends and their support I drifted for a while, but still experimenting with abstract painting which I had been doing from the beginning. However, I felt drawn to depicting real life rather that abstract works.

"Daisies" Oil on Linen

I bided my time until one day I came across Don James who has painstakingly taught me "Tonal Realism" painting as espoused by Max Meldrum at the beginning of the 20th Century in Melbourne. Don was taught by a student of Max Meldrum, Alan Martin and his other long term teacher was Shirley Bourne, a student of Sir William Dargie - a tonal painter as well. The history of all this and the incredible technique grounded me to my practice and to my place here in Melbourne. I felt that this technique and its history suited me and helped me to live in Melbourne and adapt to quite a different place both culturally and in climate to Sydney. Not to mention that in many ways, my painting is an extension of my musical experience, in the sense that tones and colours have specific musical equivalence.

"Two Jugs" Oil on Linen

"Red Teapot" Oil on Linen

"Still Life with Green Background" Oil on Linen

This is an interesting article on Tonal Realism in relation to an exhibition that was called "Misty Moderns", mentioning some key Australian tonal painters.

http://nga.gov.au/mistymoderns/essay.cfm