Fern Dance 2022 Oil on Linen 505 x 1020mm $3200
Tree Fern leans on a Myrtle while supporting the roots of a Sassafrass. Life in a rainforest is a dance of relationships. Space is shared and the precious commodity – light is both sought and shared. But it never finishes there. Each of these principal dancers plays host to a myriad of smaller ferns, mosses, and lesser organisms. This is not to ignore the host of non-plant organisms that thrive in the richness of this self-composting environment.
A community works when it is cooperative and allows individuals to find their nitch. Diversity brings richness and life for all. This is the lesson of the emerald cathedral called the rainforest.
Artistic fern dance
The process of only painting on-site over so many hours – Plein air, brings the artist into the position of a connoisseur, tasting the moments of light. Then evaluating the components, the artist becomes the master distiller, drawing out the richness and subtlety of the location and dance in time. The gives a sumative process of light that distills the essance of the location. Is a story of these trees incommunity over time. It also distills the aesthetic response of the artist who becomes one with the landscape in the process.
The details provide an insight into the paint application in my work. While the final work on the computer looks photographic and hyper real, it is actually very expessive and responsive due to its being done plein air. Without photographic references. This process I use includes glaze layering as is common in the Old Masters studio work. This brings tonal richness to the work and feeling of stepping into the painting.