Winter Grass in Wine Country, 2016 Painting

I live on a vineyard in Australia. My work is constantly inspired by my ever changing landscape where I often paint in my backyard and in the Impressionist style of en plein air. I feel there’s a connection between man and nature, present at all times yet often unseen. My purpose is to create an awareness of this connection. Unique in style, yet reminiscent of the works of Turner, Constable, and inspired by writers such as Shelley, Keats, and Muir, my aim is not just to show a ‘pretty picture’, but to create a specific experience in the viewer. The modern discourse between religion and scientific exploration has all but blinded man to the innate and inherent connection we all have with nature. It’s as if all our knowing and understanding has made us forget that we are all an integral part of nature and existence. If my paintings are often dramatic or foreboding, just the way the sky looks before or during a storm, it’s because I wish for the viewer to experience that same intensity I see. I want the viewer to take a moment and reflect both on the minuteness of being human, as well as on the fact that being human is a marvelous and awe-inspiring reality. This artwork is oil on Fredrix linen board. It is unframed however the sides have been painted to complement the contemporary feel. It has a hanging device.