Acrylic on canvas, stretched and ready to hang.

Signed on the front.

This artwork comes with an external frame

This expressive, semi abstract painting in a variety of vibrant blue hues is from my ‘Rock Pool’ series. The series is inspired by time spent in Sydney’s Chinese Gardens and Bada Shanren’s ‘Fish and Rocks’ ink scroll painting from 1699.

I am interested in the stark contrast between Chinese and European painting traditions from similar periods; they are literally worlds apart. While European painters were focused on representing religious figures and grappling with perspective, the Chinese monks were making “abstract” landscapes long before the artistic term was even imagined.

My own light hearted interpretation of ‘Fish and Rocks’ uses intuitive mark making and expressive line drawn from my imagination. I love working this way because I am able to let my mind wander and achieve creative flow. I never know what the final painting is going to look like which is both exhilarating and sometimes disastrous - for each acceptable result, there are always a few ‘duds’ that I am unhappy with that require painting over. These ‘mistakes’ make excellent texture and starting points for new abstract paintings, adding depth and interest to the finished works.