I love this photograph of the surface of our dam because it shows the impact of light on colour. The clarity and depth of the water is consistent. The only difference is light and shade. The blue of the sky is strongest in the shade. The green of the leaves is strongest where the water is in sunlight.

Every Day Is Different

My abstract landscape paintings use strong colours. Often, they use unexpected colour combinations. It is photographs like this which influence me. Depending on the time of day, the season, and the weather, colours change.

Objectively, a tree trunk may be mid brown. Viewed at sunset, the trunk could be gold, orange or red. Occasionally, I’ve walked in fading sunsets where the light had a violet tinge.

On the other hand, grey, cloudy days, or foggy days bring out tones. The landscape is softened. Surprisingly, these are the best days to photograph wildflowers to get accurate colour and details of leaves and petals. The reason for this is there are no shadows.

Colour Freedom

My entry into painting came from photography. Light is crucial in photography, so I think that has been beneficial to the way I paint light. It has also given me a sense of freedom in the way I use colour, because I know colour is not fixed. When people view my paintings, their comments are often about my use of colour, or the way I depict light.

I’ve created a page for my abstract artwork if you want to view it with colour in mind. Or you can visit the studio on the weekend 12th and 13th April, as part of the Golden Plains Arts Trail. Details of my open studio are here, and you can download the full brochure here.