Though I dwell in the valley of the Shadow of Death 2005 Oil on Linen 750 x 1050mm $4500
Where there is light there is hope. Even in the toughest location a tree will grow. Here in a gully filled with monster boulders a tree has grown up an out of the shadow into the light. At its base, among the mosses of its roots, the small saplings begin the same struggle and retell the story of life and death.
While Psalm 23 talks about passing through the valley, this tree dwells there. And passing through is a matter of upwards toward the light. But in tree years this takes time. So the struggle for life goes on.
One of the delights of painting this picture was a regular visit by a lyrebird. As I was a regular and quiet visitor to his lunch location I was soon ignored. It beats painting from photographs. So much of the Lords’ creation is revealed for those who take the time to truly see.
Australia as a landscape is populated by trees and characterized by its’ trees. Each painting in the series is a complex metaphor for aspects of human life. Trees are chosen for their sculptural presence and placed forward and central in the canvas much like a portrait painting.