I am attracted by the physical beauty of the Victorian landscape but when I come to express this in paint I find it is light and atmosphere that become the key elements. For me they evoke a strong emotional reaction and my aim is for the viewer to be drawn into the images I paint and experience the same.
I often find subjects in the most unlikely places. The series of works, Colloquium - Lake Merrimu, depict a location just outside Bacchus Marsh. It is a Melbourne Water site and at first glance it seems unremarkable but look past the safety fences, picnic ground and warning signs and it has a quiet beauty. You can go up there mid- week and be the only person for miles, and as a bonus it’s close enough to Melbourne to be able to go and paint each day. Inspired by this atmospheric location I have painted a series of small studies and large panoramic views expressing a feeling of intense isolation and a sense of the frailty of humanity exposed to the elements.