2020 Birds
Our incredible native bird and plant life continues to be a major theme running through my work.
My process begins with a bird sketch from a photograph, and no other plans beyond that. The rest of the painting is lead by the watercolour paint behaviour and loosely based on plants and places that have made an impression on me. I find it liberating to work this way – being guided by imagination and emotion. Watercolour is a medium that doesn’t enjoy being restrained, like the subject matter – it prefers to be wild and free. So I tend to splash it about somewhat recklessly before building up layers of more defined line work once I get an idea about the direction it is leading me to.
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Blue faced honey eater 2020, gouache on cotton paper, 56cm x 76cm
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A flutter of fairy wrens 2020, gouache on cotton paper, 76cm x 56cm
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Currawong sing-a-long 2020, gouache on cotton paper, 56cm x 76cm
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The prettiest vandals, 2020, gouache on cotton paper, 76cm x 56cm
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Glossy black cockatoos and parched landscape 2020, gouache on cotton paper, 76cm x 56cm
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Magpie on my frangipani 2020, gouache on cotton paper, 56cm x 76cm
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Peppercorn forest kingfisher 2020, gouache on cotton paper 56cm x 38cm
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Noisy by nature 2020, gouache on cotton paper, 30cm x 40cm