Reaching for the Light Painting

“Reaching for the Light” is inspired by recent scuba dives in the Great Barrier Reef last year. In this latest series UNDERCURRENT I’m really enjoying focusing on the amorphous and fluid shapes and lines of the coral underwater, of the light through the ocean, and the bright colours of healthy coral. I have spent a lot of time diving in the past decade. I love how the ocean currents creates constant ebb and flow, the swirling fish, the moving coral tentacles in the ocean currents, bubbles from breathing underwater, and the shimmering movement of sea life. This painting seeks to convey the mood and spirit of the reef, of how I feel when I’m diving ~ while also exploring light and colour. In this artwork I focused on how the plant tendrils grow, twisting into incredible shapes, while seemingly reaching for the light. I am a Sydney based artist with a deep affinity with the land and the ocean. I live and work near Manly beach and have been painting professionally for over 27 years. I paint most days in a large warehouse where I also sell my artworks to the public, corporate and interior designers. I travel extensively to experience and sketch in remote areas throughout Australia & overseas when I can. My works are expressions of my experiences and what I feel and see while being at one in nature - above or below the sea. I started my meditation journey when I was nineteen and I love to be in connection with the land and sea. Scuba diving for me is a form of meditation and communion with nature. With this experience I seek to understand what lies beneath the observable, reflecting on the ebb and flow of nature with its delicacy & strength, mysteries & contrasts. This is what I love to create and what I would like the viewer to feel - that feeling of expansiveness and unity while being out in the middle of nowhere or deep down by the edge of a coral reef wall in the middle of the ocean. I hope we keep our amazing Australian reefs safe and protected and do all we can do to allow them to flourish.