Going Down a River Painting

In this body of work, I have taken a personal approach and viewed myself in relation to the natural landscape. For me, the landscape is a space of comfort as well as a space of reflection. My paintings of the landscape have brought me to the following conclusions… In my personal reality and interaction with the world, landscape is perceived as natural - raw - wild - untouched. It presents itself as a blank canvas, as a space free from error and harsh interruption, a space of calm. By fact that the landscape is natural and raw, layers of human reality, whatever they may be, are given the opportunity to be revealed/ expressed / explored/ exposed within the landscape. Human notions of humanism are forged into (onto) the landscape and it is perceived as we wish. I’d like to show, more than the multiple layers of reality embedded in it, that the landscape is a place of secrets and a space of intimacy - where reflections, shadows and moments beneath the surface are able to be expressed. Personally, the natural landscape has served this purpose for me, in a world which is at times overwhelming. These reflections and moments, (literally painted in layers beneath the surface), are dark and moody and intimidating yet they hold a sense of comfort, an immersive, ethereal depth of memory through layers of imagery. These painted images; intimate, personal and sensitive moments exist as shadows, traces and memories in the landscape - the meaning is embedded in the space, and is only perceptible as much as you wish it to be.