Many years ago, I visited Canberra and happened upon an exhibition of Harold Cazneaux’s photography. Cazneaux is known for his work in Australia between 1904 and 1940. Sydney Harbour was the setting for many photographs, including the ferries transporting people.

The photograph which captured my attention was ‘A Study in Curves’ with the arc of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background, the curved ropes draping from a ship to the pier, the curved net hanging from a spar, and the curve of the hull. This was the first time I realised the subject of an image could be an idea rather than a landscape or a figure.

I ran with photographing curves in my nature photography, shown here in a previous post. Now I’m beginning to explore curves in my paintings. This one is called ‘Uplift’ a work on paper using watercolours. ‘Uplift’ comes from the broad, brush stroke in the centre of the work.

What I notice

The curves in ‘Uplift’ are subtle. They emerge as you gaze at the colours, and the subtle variations of colour. In this work I have used tools to create grooves in the paper. I have also built layers using torn masking tape. Using these methods, I can create shadows and texture. The dots are also created with the aid of a texture medium. Often, I have coloured around them more vibrantly than I have painted on them. This creates curves in small scale to contrast with the sweeping washy curves.

Recently I added ‘Uplift’ to the designs on my Redbubble page. It looks fabulous as a tote bag and a desk mat. I bought both of these and they are in my studio right now. This design brings me so much joy.