This aged Myrtle is a commanding presence in the rainforest. It is host to thousands of organisms. Life is lived and protected in its canopy.
But who respects the elderly in our contemporary Western culture? Who sits at the feet of wisdom to learn from the mature? We have begun to replace art with pixelated NFT’s, swapping treasure for cash.
Little wonder we are happy to remove old-growth forests to make pulp.
I stood here over many hours, days, and months, painting Plein air to distill light and time; to encapsulate the essence of this tree and its habitat.
XO- Aged, Mature, Distilled – Figure in Landscape No. 42. 2022 Oil on Linen 510 x 1530mm $5800
I like a good brandy or cognac and have taken to the fine longer aged XO brandies. They need to be savoured. That’s why the brandy glass is a large bowl shape so the aromas can be enjoyed and the drink rolled on the tongue. Then it is slowly sipped. each morsel enjoyed in the mouth before smoothly passing down the throat. It is not a drink to get drunk on, but a fine experience not to be wasted. Perhaps enjoyed with age not to be wasted on youthfulness.
As with XO brandy so with art
It is the same with art. Great art ages well with time. On the wall, a great piece is one that continues to give. It should satisfy able to withstand contemplation. Art should invite the viewer again and again to enter the depths of the experience.
Good things take time to mature. This can be said about trees as well as artists. This old myrtle has outlasted many trees in the rainforest. It continues to give and host life. Its stately form bears the damage of age that brings character.
As an artist, my work has also matured over time. This rainforest series I consider my best work to date. It can be seen in the fluidity and competent brush strokes. It is also seen in the reduction of layers required to complete a work. I am not overpainting or labouring the surface. It is also the most challenging environment to paint due to the complexity of light, leaves, and ferns.