Growing images drawn inspired by your random suggestions
It’s a still life
For the past 3 weeks I have been quiet, trying to find my artistic feet back after a very productive but Hectic couple of years finishing a Masters of Fine Art degree at UNSW art and design.
A still life is a painting made up of random thoughts that lead from one thing to another, a narrative of a reflective life after 2 very hectic years at UNSW and my last days working at The Australian.
Still life of Echinacea flowers in a pot on the back tableStill life “en plein air” of the falling Frangipani, was painted a day or two after as a direct response to painting above, this prompted a description of it as a plant that had a couple of drinks leaning over like a drunken sailor after a night out.Next day I decided to set up a glass of Red and painted that to complete and add to a narrative, a fly fell into it, that had to be fished it out.
I don’t like fishing because as a kid I hated touching fish. I have become a life saver at the Bondi surf club. All these thoughts are available as images when sitting in front of my IPad. The animation above was the result this morning. A still life it is, but my mind is not wired to be quiet! So as a result, to represent this confluence of thoughts I combined all the previous moments to depict that moment. When I’m not swimming, Vicki and I usually go and visit the Lennons in Waverley Cemetery, they have a ten million dollar view. This day I went down accompanied with the iPad because Vicki had a painting to do and other things on her agenda. So I painted the “en plein air” of this vista. It took 2.30 hours until being relatively happy with the result. The picture above on the IPad was a mid way construction of the painting.Background now has meaning and the composition needed to be held up because the fish head representing fears, such has lack a of security is becoming more apparent in my thoughts, although life around the beach and art is becoming a valuable resource intellectually and will emerge in the future work, as I continue on this search through the random thoughts that come to mind in my practice. It still needs to be finished but I’m not sure what it requires. I’m listening and something will show itself. Stay tuned
I love the idea that people can effect the journey of these paintings so if you have stories that are triggered, comment below
I will start the next canvas with the same process in the practice. I hope this explains the symbolism that appear in my scribbles.
Löbbecke’s Art Co-Lab 