Delicate Balance

What is the meaning of life? That is the inspiration for this painting – Delicate Balance. When I think of the meaning of life, I think of choices, I think of the journey we take through this world and the way we manage risks with decisions we make along that journey.

I based this painting on a photo I took while bush walking on a cool moist morning in Tasmania. I loved the dew on the leaf and its survival instincts, hanging in there even after being half eaten by a caterpillar. I added an emerging butterfly to the scene, precariously balancing on its cocoon to emphasize both the next phase of the caterpiller's life, as well as the risk it has to take to progress through life.

Life is a delicate balance as we have to evaluate and manage risks at every stage of life. A butterfly emerging from the safe haven of its cocoon is taking a major risk. For until its wings are fully engorged with fluid it cannot fly, it is vulnerable to be preyed on. Lose its grip and game over, it will never fly. For this butterfly, life is a delicate balance, it’s offspring are dependent on the success of its brief adult life. To find a mate, to successfully lay eggs on an appropriate, nurturing plant with succulent leaves. It’s offspring and it’s species are dependent on the little choices and risks this butterfly takes.

Now change the scale to encompass the whole planet and it’s not too hard to visualize that life is still a delicate balance. A balancing act between success or failure. For the world as a whole, the climate dictates and supports life as we know it. With just little variations in the climate to tip the balance of temperature warmer, coral will bleach and die, plants and animals will become extinct across but, at the same time, other species will possibly prosper. Life indeed is a DELICATE BALANCE.

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Creating art, more specifically painting and sketching, takes me to my happy place, a place where I feel more centered and relaxed. It fuels my soul and enhances my senses, I’m at peace when creating art.

Apart from attending painting workshops and receiving tutoring from some well-known master artists; I am self-taught. I have sketched and painted on and off for most of my life. My artistic career took off in 2005 after moving to Brisbane.

I create art because I love the journey, the challenge, and obviously the final outcome. The more complex and detailed the subject the more I enjoy it (a sucker for punishment you might say). I don’t do it to make money, although that helps. I do it for the sense of achievement I get out of finishing a beautiful and admired piece of art.

I try not to box myself into a corner and focus on a single theme or subject matter. I love painting landscapes and iconic urban scenes from my travels. More recently I have been doing portraits and that has proved quite fulfilling also. I do love scenes that somehow incorporate water, that’s always a good challenge.

My medium of choice is predominantly oils on canvas. I typically adopt a 3 or 4 pass technique. First blocking in the large forms, shapes, and shadows followed by a couple of translucent modelling/contouring layers to get a better sense of depth. Then the final detail and highlights layer to finish off.

Continuous improvement is important to me. The next painting needs to be better than the last. I’m not looking for any notoriety or becoming wealthy from my pursuit. But I do enjoy sharing my work with others and having them admire something I have put so much effort into. I find that really rewarding.

I get inspiration from all the great masters. It is not so much about their subject and their magnificent finished works, but more about their technique. I love trying to understand what technique they may have employed to achieve a particular outcome. Wherever I can I will visit art galleries to explore the wonderful paintings they exhibit.